1. The GEO AquaWatch Initiative: Global Water Quality Monitoring and Forecasting Service for Inland & Coastal Waters
GEO Plenary XIV Side Event
GEOGLOWS and the harmonization of GEO Water Activities
October 24, 2017
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
Washington, D.C.
Paul M. DiGiacomo, Ph.D.
GEO AquaWatch Initiative
Steering Committee Co-Chair

2. GEO AquaWatch Initiative
The AquaWatch Mission
To improve the coordination, delivery and utilization of water quality information for the benefit of society.
The AquaWatch Goal
To develop, build & disseminate global capacity and utility of Earth Observation-derived water quality data, products and information to support integrated water quality management and decision making.

3. GEO AquaWatch Initiative
AquaWatch History: Major Milestones over the past 10 Years
2007: GEO Inland and Nearshore Coastal Water Quality Remote Sensing Workshop, Geneva, WMO
2011: GEO Inland and Coastal Water Quality Remote Sensing Algorithm Workshop, Washington, D.C.
2015: GEO Water Quality Summit, Geneva, WMO
2017: AquaWatch approved as GEO Initiative

4. Integration and coordination across water activities
GEO AquaWatch Initiative
Integration and coordination
across water activities

5. GEO AquaWatch Initiative
AquaWatch Initiative Implementation Plan has been approved by the GEO Programme Board
As a GEO Initiative, AquaWatch will work to improve access to data and information, provide a venue for the sharing of best practices and advocate for the importance of sustained and routine water quality monitoring at the global scale for coastal & inland waters
AquaWatch recently completed an informational booklet on water quality monitoring
The booklet is available on the AquaWatch website
Printed copies now available!

6. GEO AquaWatch Initiative
Current Activities
AquaWatch is currently developing an integrated, coordinated product suite for NTU turbidity, Secchi disk depth product, diffuse attenuation coefficients, and surface reflectance
This product suite is a first step in a long term project to develop a global water quality monitoring and forecasting service
Future 2017 – 2019 Activities
Continue to build on the water quality information service
Support and collaborate with other GEO groups on water quality project needs (GEOGLOWS, EO4SDGS, GEO Blue Planet, GEO Wetlands, GEO BON, Regional GEO groups)
Further populate Steering Committee and build Working Group activities
Work to increase engagement and collaboration with other GEO groups
Accelerate capacity building activities

7. GEO AquaWatch Initiative

8. Earth Observations in Support of Global Water Quality Monitoring
GEO AquaWatch Initiative
Earth Observations in Support of
Global Water Quality Monitoring
(Publication in 2018)

9. GEO AquaWatch Initiative

10. GEO AquaWatch Initiative
coastwatch.noaa.gov

11. Thank You!