Data collection in matters of freshwater is often poor in both temporal and spatial coverage. To fill this gap a number of pioneering applications are being developed. On Thursday, November 25th UNEP hosted an online session about some of the digital technologies used to monitor global surface water and measure progress on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 6.6.1 “Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time”.   

Stuart Crane, Programme Management Officer from UNEP, showcased the Freshwater Ecosystem Explorer. The platform functions as a “virtual time machine” that track the location and temporal distribution of global water surfaces,  offering annual statistics.  

Sílvia Leirião, Water resources engineer from DHI, presented the Global Hydrological Model, consisting of a subscription-based data portal spanning almost the entire globe and major river basins.  

The purpose of these tools is to help the public and private sector to improve water monitoring, modeling, and management, leading to better performances during decision-making processes and improving the protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems. 

Those interested in knowing more about the potential and outlook of freshwater digital tools, as well as some practical case studies, can now watch the video recording of the webinar.