Page 70 - CIWA Water Data Revolution Overview Report

recommend providing trainings on analytical tools that are low cost or free, as these can be used
long term by RBOs and Ros despite financial constraints. Finally, facilitating knowledge exchange
among organizations that are interested in the same types of analytical tools using open-access
RS will increase transparency and cooperation among states, while improving the connectivity of
the water sector across Africa.

Trainings and capacity building: Organizations see initiatives such as the WDR as an opportunity
to expand their technical capacity and skills with using RS technologies for data collection or
analysis. RBOs and Ros are most interested in trainings on acquiring, processing, and interpreting
RS data, as well as using analytical tools that perform drought and flood analyzes.
Recommendation 4: We suggest it is important to prioritize capacity building around using RS
data and tools that facilitate the collection, management, and analysis of RS data, with particular
focus on tools that perform drought and flood analytics. Of the types of analytics and applications
that were incorporated into the survey questions, organizations most commonly use tools on
droughts and floods over quantification of water storage in reservoirs, monitoring of surface
water quality, and water accounting. Although RBOs and ROs were most interested in trainings
on using RS for flood and drought analyses, they were also highly interested in trainings on using
RS for these other types of analytics. Interestingly, water accounting is the least used tool
currently, even though it has the potential to be immensely useful for assisting organizations in
achieving their mandates and is universally applicable for water organizations (unlike analytics
focused on reservoirs or surface water quality monitoring, which are mainly applied to reservoirs
when using RS data). Hence, it would be beneficial to introduce applications of RS data for water
accounting via trainings and gauge interest for further capacity building around water accounting
tools relative to drought and flood tools, which are already being used. Additionally, any trainings
offered should elicit feedback from attendees to ensure that analytical tools of focus in the
trainings are fitting to the organizations in terms of their analysis needs and staffing capacity.

Constraints to using data technologies: RS data, data products, and analytical tools using RS are
underutilized by RBOs and ROs mainly due to financial constraints and technical capacity
limitations.
Recommendation 5: We recommend working within the financial constraints of organizations,
and providing increased focus trainings and capacity development around using low-cost or free
RS data, data products, and analytical tools is necessary.

Staffing: Staffing shortages are another constraint that was underscored in interviews with
organizations. Many organizations have limited technical staff, if any at all.
Recommendation 6: Due to staffing shortages, for any training and workshop, it is recommended
to work with organizations to understand the most impactful data products or tools that can
efficiently assist specific needs, so as to utilize their staff in the most effective manner.

Data Sharing: The degree to which data is freely shared by member states within RBOs and ROs
varied greatly. However, majority of organizations are in the process of establishing or improving
data portals that provide member states access to transboundary data.

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