Today’s most urgent environmental problems are complex and require solutions that integrate scientific, economic, political, and cultural data. The Global Water for Sustainability Program (GLOWS) is tackling complicated problems about the sustainable use and development of water resources. Since 2005, GLOWS has generated large quantities of data of every conceivable type to provide scientific information for integrated water resources management in the Andean Amazon, in East Africa, and in India. When program personnel are spread across multiple countries, acquiring, collecting, storing, organizing, and sharing data are constant challenges. While increased connectivity via email has greatly simplified the one-to-one transfer of data between collaborators, more sophisticated data management systems are required to enable efficient data exchange among groups of collaborators and dissemination of project findings to decision-makers and the public.

The Geographic Information Systems Center at Florida International University (FIU-GIS) is playing a central role in managing data for GLOWS and training GLOWS partners in new methods of data management and dissemination. The new approaches developed by GLOWS operate through a multi-tiered, GIS web Portal (http://globalwaters.net), which offers three web tools for information management and sharing:

An on-line Performance Monitoring System which allows project collaborators from different parts of the world to report their local project activities, share their knowledge and experiences, and upload relevant data collected. So far, our project partners from Ecuador, Peru, Tanzania, Kenya and India have been utilizing this system to disseminate their project findings.

A Spatially-Based Data Library for geo-spatial, water quality, and other environmental datasets, documents, reports, maps, publications. Many water related datasets and documents for the GLOWS project basins are searchable and can be downloaded via ftp. This search engine is built upon the Ecological Macro Language (EML) metadata standard developed by Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB), and therefore is interoperable with a much larger environmental information community. So far over 130 reports and datasets of GLOWS selected study areas have been included in this data library.

Interactive Mapping and Information Display Tool for watershed related geo-data visualization and information display. This tool is developed on ESRI’s state-of-the-art ArcGIS Server platform. This example based upon the Pachitea Water Basin demonstrates ways in which to geo-visualize the physical environment and boundaries of a water basin, watersheds, catchments and rivers. Other crucial environmental layers such as elevation and land cover can also be displayed. In addition, it allows users to search and locate detailed water quality and quantity information. This tool is particularly useful for decision makers and the public whose access to advanced desktop GIS technology is limited, yet who need to gain a thorough understanding of a river basin.

Developing and applying these data management technologies is only part of the effort. We also work one-on-one and in groups to train partners in the developing world to use improved data management systems and to customize these tools to their own needs.

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