WWQA World Water Quality Alliance

The International Association for Great Lakes Research, WWQA World Water Quality Alliance, CSIRO, GEO Aquawatch, GEO Indigenous Alliance hosted today a second global webinar on Indigenous Sovereignty. Thank you to Yolanda López-Maldonado, our moderator and to Abraham Francis and Sara Smith, our speakers for sharing their experiences navigating data ownership. This webinar would not be possible without the support of Anham Salyani and Merrie Neely, Ph.D., PMP. Stay tuned for the recording to be soon available.

🌍 Upcoming Webinar on Indigenous Data Sovereignty 🌍 Join us on 6 November 2024 for a powerful webinar on “Indigenous Data Sovereignty of Indigenous People’s Earth Observations.” This event will highlight the ethical practices and key challenges around Indigenous data ownership and sovereignty, featuring insights from esteemed Indigenous experts. 🔹 Date: 06 November 2024 🔹 Time: 1 pm UTC / 12 am Canberra / 2 pm Geneva / 4 pm Kenya / 8 am NYC 🔹 Register Here: https://lnkd.in/dVTVegST Webinar Overview: Indigenous data sovereignty is essential to protecting Indigenous knowledge, allowing communities control over data about their lands, waters, and resources. Our expert panel will explore this topic, examining ethical data and accountability in research. Featured Panelists: Abraham Francis- Aronia Collective Founder and PhD Candidate at Clarkson University Sara Smith - Epidemiologist at Six Nations Health Services Lydia Jennings - Collaboratory for Indigenous Data Governance Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights from Indigenous leaders on how data sovereignty can drive collective well-being and empower Indigenous communities. We look forward to your participation! Yolanda López-Maldonado Merrie Neely, Ph.D., PMP Jérôme Marty Janet Anstee Anham Salyani Nina Raasakka GEO Aquawatch WWQA World Water Quality Alliance #IndigenousDataSovereignty #WWQA #Webinar #IndigenousRights #EnvironmentalJustice #EarthObservations

🌍💧 WWQA’s 5th Annual Conference: Catalyzing Global Action for Water Quality 💧🌍 On October 22, 2024, the World Water Quality Alliance (WWQA) hosted its 5th Annual Conference virtually, bringing together it's community including water quality experts, stakeholders, and partners from across the globe. The conference reviewed ongoing progress, addressed funding challenges, and laid the groundwork for future strategies for the WWQA to tackle the global water quality crisis. The discussions emphasized collaboration, tracking impacts, resource mobilization, and moving from data to action. Key presentations included: 🔹 GEMS of Water Initiative – Showcased pilots with outcomes including stakeholder engagement, scientific publications, and dashboards for decision-makers. 🔹 Friends of Groundwater – Presented new groundwater quality monitoring guidelines to close data gaps and improve global management. 🔹 Scenarios for Ecosystem Health – Addressed nutrient pollution and toxic stress, and launched a community-based open data platform for accessible water quality data. 🔹 Ecosystems – Promotes restoration, supports capacity development, aligns with GBF Target 2, and builds a Global Coalition for Lakes, with key engagements at SIL2024 and Lahti Lakes 2024. 🔹 In-situ Water Quality Monitoring – Ongoing water quality data collection across countries contributes to SDG Indicator 6.3.2. 🔹 Wastewater Surveillance in Africa – GWWI launched a 30-month initiative focusing on nutrient and energy recovery from wastewater in Africa. 🔹 Social Engagement Platform – Convened over 115 Local Water Forums but needs reorganization to foster further collaboration, especially with the citizen science workstream. 🔹 Citizen Science for 6.3.2 – Highlighted Citizen Science's role in water quality monitoring and supporting SDG Indicator 6.3.2 reporting. 🔹 Water Quality Modelling – Insights shared on advancing modelling tools and developing universal water quality indicators, with a publication expected by the end of 2024. 🔹 Earth Observation for SDG 6.3.2 – unlocking the benefits of EO technologies to support global water quality monitoring, with a pilot in Lake Tanganyika. 🔹 Biodiversity and Biological Monitoring & Assessment – Progress on standardized methods for monitoring inland water ecosystems, with a technical and policy brief under development. The conference underscored the importance of leveraging the "quintuple helix"—government, academia, industry, civil society, and international organizations—to provide a common platform and thus accelerate global water quality initiatives. With continued focus on data mobilization, community engagement, and partnership-building, WWQA is positioned to drive impactful change. #WaterQuality #WWQA #SDG6 WWQA World Water Quality AllianceUN Environment ProgrammeNinaDr. Richard MunangAnhamKilian Christ, PhDStuart WarnerRiccardo ZennaroRichard ElelmanHarriet L. WilsonCaterina CacciatoriClaudia Ruz VargasBryan SpearsIris P.

✨ This October, #YEMAYA spotlights the invaluable contributions of rural women in sustainable water management and environmental resilience. Dive into this month’s edition to discover stories of community-led innovation, empowerment, and collaboration!✨ Here’s what’s inside: 🔹 The Unseen Faces of Climate Change: Meet the coastal women and girls of Ondo State, Nigeria, who are advocating for water security and climate resilience within their communities. 🔹 The October Interview: Dr. Richard Elelman, Head of Politics at Eurecat and leader of the CASSANDRA Programme, joins us to discuss the powerful intersections of climate change, health, migration, and armed conflict via community engagement. 🔹 Macroplastic Monitoring in the Nile Basin: The WWQA Plastics Workstream is applying UNEP’s guidelines to track and reduce plastic pollution, safeguarding one of the world’s most essential rivers. 🔹 Towards Universal Water Quality Indicators: A collaborative global effort is underway to create universal standards for water quality for modelling, supporting sustainable development goals. On the WWQA Bulletin Board: 🔸 The Gems of Water collaboration with Kenya National Association of Water Resources Users (KeNAWRUA) - "The Gems of Water" project hosted by the European Commission's Joint Research Center, empowers citizens to monitor pesticides in local waters, advancing global water quality monitoring through community-led sampling. Enock Ole Kiminta Caterina Cacciatori 🔸 Upcoming Webinar – Indigenous Data Sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples’ Earth Observations: Join us on November 6th. Register here: https://t.ly/m2Zzo Moderated by Yolanda López-Maldonado 🔸 WMO’s State of the Water Resources Report – Launching soon, don’t miss this vital global update! 🔸 Catch Up on Webinars: Visit WWQA’s YouTube Channel - https://lnkd.in/dpK93ZGZ 🔸 Job Opportunities and WWQA Membership Applications – Explore ways to join us in these critical initiatives! Stay engaged and inspired! Read the full YEMAYA newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/d8ecSS-H #InternationalDayofRuralWomen #WaterQuality #ClimateAction #YEMAYA #WWQA #SustainableDevelopment #SDG6 #WorldWaterQualityAllaince WWQA World Water Quality Alliance UN Environment Programme Nina Raasakka Richard Elelman Dr. Richard Munang Anham Salyani Vivek Shah Lis Mullin Bernhardt Kilian Christ, PhD Melchior Z. Elsler Stuart Warner Dianna Kopansky Ana Prieto López Stephanie Gerretsen Charles Bartlett Alex Pires Avantika Singh Josphine Wairimu Nduguti

Reminder: Register for the WWQA Annual Conference 2024!    Join us on October 22nd, 2024, from 13:30 to 17:30 CET (14:30 to 18:30 Nairobi time) for an engaging and interactive conference where we’ll review progress, discuss new developments, and explore the future of the World Water Quality Alliance (WWQA). 🗓️ Agenda Highlights: Part 1: Review Progress and Status of the WWQA 13:30 - 13:50 CET Opening and Introduction Welcoming Remarks by Jian Liu, UNEP Objectives and Adoption of Agenda 13:50 – 15:30 CET Overall Status Update Workstream Updates Showcasing Products from 2024 Seed Funding Discussion: Lessons Learned, Bottlenecks, and Outlook 15:30 – 15:45 CET - BREAK   Part 2: Way Forward 15:45 – 16:45 CET Interactive Discussion on the Next Phase of the WWQA Overview of SDG Indicator 6.3.2 Progress 16:45 – 17:05 CET Identifying Fundraising Opportunities 17:05 – 17:30 CET Wrap-Up and Next Steps 🔗 Register now: https://t.ly/vbc2Y We look forward to seeing you there! #WaterQuality #WWQA #SustainableDevelopment #SDG6 #WorldWaterQualityAlliance WWQA World Water Quality Alliance UN Environment Programme Nina Raasakka Dr. Richard Munang Anham Salyani Vivek Shah Lis Mullin Bernhardt Vivianne Kiriinya Kilian Christ, PhD Melchior Z. Elsler Stuart Warner Dianna Kopansky Ana Prieto López Stephanie Gerretsen Charles Bartlett Alex Pires Avantika Singh Riccardo Zennaro @josephine wairimu nduguti

🌍💧 Calling All World Water Quality Alliance Members! 💧🌍   As we approach the end of another productive year, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you for your continued dedication and engagement with the World Water Quality Alliance. Since our last annual conference in Nairobi, we’ve achieved some remarkable milestones, and I’m thrilled to share a few highlights: 🔹 The 2023 Innovation Workshop for Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment in Petten led to the publication of four impactful papers. 🔹 Seed funding was awarded to four workstreams, and we’ll be sharing the exciting results at the upcoming annual conference! 🔹 Our session at the World Water Forum 2024 and various webinars sparked important discussions on water quality, including Indigenous People’s Earth Observations. (Catch the recordings on the WWQA YouTube channel.) 🔹 We collaborated on a workshop with the University of Stirling to explore global water quality monitoring through Earth Observation as a follow-up to the 2023 Innovation workshop. 🔹 Launch of the Guidelines for the Assessment of Groundwater Quality and Technical and Policy Briefs on citizen science's role in enhancing water quality monitoring.   This year’s Annual Meeting will be held fully online, providing a great opportunity to review our progress, discuss feedback, and set goals for the future. 📅 Register here: https://t.ly/vbc2Y   Let’s come together to celebrate our achievements and shape the path forward. Looking forward to connecting with you all! #WaterQuality #WWQA #SustainableDevelopment #SDG6 #WorldWaterQualityAlliance WWQA World Water Quality Alliance UN Environment Programme Nina Raasakka Dr. Richard Munang Anham Salyani Vivek Shah Lis Mullin Bernhardt Vivianne Kiriinya Kilian Christ, PhD Melchior Z. Elsler Stuart Warner Dianna Kopansky Ana Prieto López Stephanie Gerretsen Charles Bartlett Alex Pires Avantika Singh Riccardo Zennaro Josphine Wairimu Nduguti

💦 "The Gems of Water" update 💦 Our website now hosts water quality results from a little campaign we conducted around Lake Naivasha in Kenya together with the @Kenya National Water Resources Users Association. Have a look here: https://lnkd.in/dHbPh5yK and check the video below for the background story 🌷 ! https://lnkd.in/ejWNfgHp EU Science, Research and Innovation WWQA World Water Quality Alliance Anham Salyani Enock Ole Kiminta Bernd Manfred Gawlik Roberta Maffettone

We are thrilled to highlight Sierra Leone's wonderful progress, which kicked off with support from WWQA World Water Quality Alliance (WWQA) seed funding. This effort, led by FreshWaterWatch and Citizen Science, has enabled Sierra Leone to combine citizen-generated data with national monitoring data to report on ambient water quality and support local communities in actively monitoring the water quality of their water bodies. Citizen science is transforming how we tackle water challenges by putting the power in the hands of local people. The WWQA is proud to have played a role from the start and helped kickstart this impactful work, which has now concluded in Sierra Leone being one of two countries (along with Zambia) that have used citizen science data for national SDG 6 reporting. Read more about their achievements and ongoing efforts: https://bit.ly/47lYaAM WWQA World Water Quality AllianceUN Environment ProgrammeEarthwatch Europe