Page 71 - CIWA Water Data Revolution Overview Report

Recommendation 7: Though RS data is not the solution to all data gaps, including them into data
portals will greatly increase the quantity and quality of continuous data available to member
states, as well as to the transboundary organization itself. This will allow for improved
management of water resources within country borders by the member states and across the
basin by the RBO or RO. Therefore, in addition to improving the capacity of organizations to
collect and use RS data, it is recommended to support organizations with inputting RS into their
data portals. Sharing of data across states is often complicated by geo-political concerns and
considerations. Through RBOs and ROs, member states are electing to share data for the benefit
of transboundary water management. However, issues with sharing of data can also be technical.
Interviews with organizations elucidated issues such as inconsistencies with formats of shared
data across countries and mechanisms for sharing of data. These issues complicate the
development of shared data portals. However, they can be addressed through standardizing data
sharing practices. This is accomplished throug2h a data sharing protocol implemented by some
of the organizations participated in the assessment (for an example, please see the protocol
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developed by OKACOM ). Thus, for organizations that currently do not have a structure to
reduce technical issues with transboundary data sharing, trainings on inputting RS data into
regional or basin-wide data portals should additionally highlight the benefits of data sharing
protocols.

Data Analytical Capacity
Management Tools Trainings Building
and Products

Figure 13: Overlapping areas of contribution from the identified recommendations.

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Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM). (2020). Rules and Procedures on the Sharing of Data & Information for the Cubango-
Okavango River Basin. Gaborone, Botswana: OKACOM Secretariat.
https://www.okacom.org/sites/default/files/documents/Rules_and_Procedures_on_Sharing_of_Information_on_the_CORB_2020.pdf.
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