IWG-Env Subgroup on Water Statistics Projects and Activities

Background Request from the International Work Session on Water Statistics (IWSWS), Vienna, 2005 for IWG-Env to address issues identified by the IWSWS IWG-Env formed the Subgroup on Water Statistics IWG-Env agreed to a work programme for the subgroup

Members of the IWG-Env SWS UNSD FAO Eurostat UNEP GEMSWater OECD

IWG-Env SWS UNSD is the secretariat The work of the group is mainly conducted by members bilaterally on issues of common interest – e.g. data collection harmonisation

IWG-Env SWS - Projects 1. Water statistics classifications (UNSD, FAO, Eurostat) Work out a comparison and concordance of water related terms and questionnaires Discuss and resolve existing conflicts and overlaps in definitions. Develop a standard codification for water data. 2. International water data collections (UNSD, FAO, OECD/Eurostat) Discuss and resolve existing conflicts and overlaps in data collection 3. Metadata guidelines (UNEP & Eurostat) Test the feasibility of harmonized metadata guidelines for environment statistics in the area of water statistics 4. Water coefficients (UNSD, FAO) Assess the feasibility of providing estimation methods and/or default coefficients that can be used to derive water data from existing data 5. Water quality methodology (GEMSWater & UNSD) Assess methods for aggregating or otherwise progressing from individual measurements of water quality to useful statistics 6. Training materials – Discontinued Contribute to the preparation of training materials

Project 1 – Classifications UNSD/FAO/Eurostat Reviewed terms and definitions and data collections UNSD List of variables List of indicators (will serve as input in MOWSA) Lists of consistent and different terms and definitions

Project 2 – Data Collections IWG-Env SWS Meeting Sept 2006, outcomes: Only UNSD/UNEP, OECD/Eurostat and FAO collect water resources and abstraction data regularly from countries (regional offices sometimes conduct one off data collections) OECD/Eurostat and UNSD/UNEP already coordinate data collection activities UNSD and FAO: Comparison of data collections (October 2007) Recommendations on harmonisation (December 2007)

Project 3 – Testing Metadata Guidelines IWG-Env SWS Test metadata guidelines Recommendations UNEP/Eurostat Made a comparison of metadata guidelines: - ISO(19115), - Eurostat/SDDS - UNEP/GEO - SDMX. Drafted metadata Guidelines Report back experiences UNEP/Eurostat Compile report on metadata guidelines

Project 4 – Coefficients UNSD/FAO FAO have provided two FAO papers titled: - “Key water resources statistics in AQUASTAT: FAO’s Global Information System on Water and Agriculture” -“Estimation of water use for irrigated agriculture: the AQUASTAT methodology”. UNSD Collecting coefficients (please provide us with any you have) Currently drafting text on the use of coefficients for MOWSA (??)

Project 5 – Water Quality Methods UNEP-GEMSWater and UNSD have started drafting a paper on aggregate freshwater quality statistics for the ambient environment. Sources for the paper include: –SEEAW (Section 2) –Development and use of global water quality indicators and indices (UNEP GEMSWater workshop report) –River quality assessment system in France (L.C. Oudin) The paper introduces the subject of water quality statistics, the methods available to countries looking to develop such statistics (accounts, indicators and indices), country practices, classification issues and a comparison of advantages and disadvantages. Please provide UNSD with any examples of water quality statistics from your country

IWG-Env SWS to do… Classifications –UNSD make recommendations on water statistics classifications –SWS provide comments on recommendations (early 2008) Data collections –UNSD and FAO complete paper comparing data collections (Oct 2007) –UNSD and FAO make recommendations on harmonising data collections (Dec 2007) Metadata guidelines –UNEP and Eurostat provide metadata guidelines for testing to SWS –UNEP and Eurostat compile comments on the application of metadata guidelines to produce a final report on the recommended metadata guidelines (Dec 2007)

IWG-Env SWS to do… Coefficients –UNSD makes an analysis of the various coefficients (mid 2008) Water quality methodology –Complete paper on water quality methods (lead agency: GEMSWater, not a current UNSD priority, as resources and priorities allow)

Contact Details Jeremy Webb Environmental Statistician United Nations Statistics Division New York USA Room DC Phone: Fax: Website: