State of water quality assessment reporting at the global level - UNEP GEMS/Water Programme

Intersecretariat Working Group on Environment Statistics, International Work Session on Water Statistics, Vienna, June 20-22, 2005

HOW TO ASSESS GLOBAL WATER QUALITY?

There are two approaches:

1. Establish monitoring laboratories and staff worldwide to operate a global programme – this would be exorbitantly expensive and impossible at the present time.

2. Create a network of participating countries that provide data to a central global database.

Ahmadabad

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (mg/L O2)

Oxygen Dissolved (mg/L O2)

Faecal Coliform (No./100 ml MPN)

5000000

0

600

0

1979 - 2002

1979 - 2 002

1979 - 2002

4 Core Activities1. A global inland water

quality database and international network.

2. A leading source of data for global environmental assessment processes.

3. Technical (QA/QC) tools and resources.

4. Building the capacity of developing and transitional countries to collect and manage water quality information.

Who Participates?

Africa

138

206,907

1977-2004

Americas

662

417,994

1965-2004

Asia

332

641,940

1971-2004

Europe

318

823,323

1978-2003

Oceania

94

206,650

1979-2004

Region

# of Stations

# of Values

Date Range

Totals

1544

2,296,814

1965-2004

Global Water Quality Network

Regions N umber of S tations

N umber of D ata Points

P hysic al / C hemic al

M ajor Ions M etals N utrients OrganicC ontaminants

M ic robiology D ate Range

A fric a 138 206907 26712 79889 6439 41289 370 832 1977 - 2004

A meric as 662 417994 47198 73210 88124 47284 3593 10401 1965 - 2004

A sia 332 641940 118868 159329 83005 98796 6794 32018 1971 - 2004

Europe 318 823323 146747 136392 154742 108815 14539 27260 1978 - 2003

Oc eania 94 206650 31678 12237 2535 46992 1438 1383 1979 - 2004

Total 1544 2296814 371203 461057 334845 343176 26734 71894 1965 - 2004

QA/QC – Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Quality Assurance

Manual

Laboratory Evaluation

Studies

Assessment ProgrammeQA LOOP

Analytical MethodsDictionary

Global Participation inInterlaboratory Study No. 5 -

38 countries and 68 labs

Global Runoff Data CentreKoblenz, Germany

Total stations in 2005 = 7222

Joint GEMS/Water and GTN-H Stations (100)

Joint GEMS/Water and GRDC Stations (446)

www.gemstat.org -- searchable • Station(s) selection• Time period• Parameter(s) selection• Statistical Analysis

promote access to information worldwide

promote interoperability and comparability of datasets

as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible

Database Access & Data Distribution

New online water quality database GEMStat – official launch, March 22nd, World Water Day

UNEP GEMS/Water ProgrammeAare River at Brugg

Figure 1: Station photograph Figure 2: Watershed Region Figure 3: Geographical Location

Station Number (Country/Sequent) 200004

Water Type River

Octant 3

Latitude (Deg. Min. Sec.) 47° 29”02’ N

Longitude (Deg. Min. Sec.) 008° 11” 45’ E

Mean Surface Water Level (m) 332.0

Average Sounding Depth (m) 4.1

Date Station Opened 1978-01-01

Regional Centre Europe

Sub-regional Centre Eastern Europe

Geographical Region EURA

Responsible Collection Agency

Watershed/Basin Rhine Meuse

Station Type (Baseline, Trend, Global Flux Station) Trend

GRDC Number 6935301

River Width (m) 56.4

Discharge (m3/sec) 314

Upstream Basin Area (km2) 11750

Area Upstream of Tidal Limit (km2) Data not available

Country Name Switzerland

Station Identifier Aare River at Brugg

Station Narrative Measuring station lies before the confluence of the Aare with the Limmat and the Reuss rivers. Catchment area of over 11, 000 km2 with approximately 2 million inhabitants.

Additional Information

Data Date Range January 3, 1978 – December 29, 2002

Applicable ParametersFull method description and codes can be found in the Analytical Methods for Environmental Water Quality at http://www.gemswater.org/quality_assurance/index-e.html

Physical Characteristics:02041–Elec. Conductance 02062–Temperature 08001– % Do Saturation 08102–Dissolved Oxygen 10101–Alkalinity Total10301–pH 10401–Suspended SolidsOrganic Matter:06001–Carbon Organic Total 06101–Carbon Organic DissolvedNutrients:07001–Nitrogen Kjeldahl Organic (TKN) 07207–Nitrite 07313–Nitrate07555–Ammonia15255–Orthophosphate Dissolved 15405–Phosphorous Total

Major Ions:11105–Sodium Dissolved12102–Magnesium Dissolved 14101–Silica Reactive 16309–Sulphate 17207–Chloride Dissolved19105–Potassium Dissolved 20105–Calcium Dissolved Metals:24002–Chromium Total28001–Nickel Total29005–Copper Total30005–Zinc Total 48002–Cadmium Total80011–Mercury Total 82002–Lead Total Hydrological/Sampling:97160 – Instantaneous Discharge

Related Links Bundesamt für Umwelt, Wald und Landschaft (BUWAL)http://www.umwelt-schweiz.ch/buwal/eng/Bundesamt für Wasser und Geologie (BWG)http://www.bwg.admin.ch/d/Eidg. Anstalt für Wasserversorgung, Abwasserreinigung und Gewässerschutz (EAWAG)http://www.eawag.ch/Binderheim-Banky, Jakob, Liechti, Schriftenreihe Umwelt Nr. 319, Gewässerschutz, Messresultate 1977-1998, Nationales Programm für die analytische Daueruntersuchung der schweizerischen FliessgewässerBinderheim-Banky, Jakob, Liechti, Series of environmental publications Nr. 319, Water Protection, Measuring Results 1977 – 1998, National program for the analytic continuous investigation of Swiss running waters

Additional Photos

UNEP GEMS/Water ProgrammeAare River at Brugg

PROGRAMMEFOR DEVELOPMENT OF GLOBAL WATER

QUALITY INDICES(2005-2007)

FORMATION OF AN EXPERT GROUP TO REGULARLY REVIEW PROGRESS AND PLAN FUTURE ACTIONS

PILOT STUDY ON A GLOBAL DRINKING WATER QUALITY INDEX (2005/2007)

INDEX TO ASSESS THE STATUS OF COUNTRY WATER QUALITY MONITORING NETWORKS (2005)

PILOT STUDY ON A GLOBAL INDEX OF EUTROPHICATION STATUS (2006/2007)

GUIDELINE DOCUMENT ON WATER QUALITY INDICATORS AND INDICES (2006/2007)

UNEP GEMS/Water Programme

Canada, UNEP Nairobi

Thank Youwww.gemswater.org