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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Strengthen data and information for more efficient water sector stakeholders (data is the new water)

Akvo (
Non-governmental organization (NGO)
)
#SDGAction50218
Description
Description

Data is essential to accelerating our progress towards SDG 6, measuring impact in the water sector, and driving the global economy. It has often been said that data is the new oil, but this comparison is imperfect. In addition, the idea of comparing data with fossil fuel at a time when sustainability is more important than ever seems outdated. So what about data as the new water? Coincidence or not, they share a vocabulary, both using words such as flow, pipeline, leakages, and (data) lakes. Current challenges and trends in both sectors require a completely different approach: a radical shake-up in how water is governed, managed and valued, from local to global scale, including a re-evaluation of human and natural water needs. This starts by managing water and information differently: we propose to approach water data as a common good.

At Akvo, we have 15 years of experience in data and information for water management. Much like the water sector, we started by focusing our efforts on developing infrastructure around data. Five years ago, we developed a methodology to highlight the data management steps needed for a data system to work, with a focus on creating impact with data. Together with our partners, we are now developing approaches to data governance and ecosystems approaches around data. We develop digital maturity assessments to move our partners toward more impact with data for better water resource and infrastructure monitoring and planning. We especially focus on bringing local engagement around data and information systems, as well as local data services, involving the whole data ecosystem for global impact. The information systems needed to engage at local (outcome) level involve:

  • Equitable resource allocation
  • Sustainable water management
  • Drought and flood resilience
  • Climate WASH resilience
  • Integrated Water Resource management

For each type of information needed, Akvo develops data services for global impact, as well as tech and capacity building at local level. 

Expected Impact

With an ecosystem approach and data sharing strategies, IWRM and WASH actors will be able to hold each other accountable, and to ensure that water resource data and information arising from one user/influence group is made readily available to others, as well as to the public, where appropriate. Local communities and governments play a vital role in this new approach, and a solid social contract between communities, governments and citizens is crucial. Trust, communication and information, but also participatory and inclusive decision making, are key topics.

Well structured accessible data will have a positive impact on the management and steering of programmes using real/near time data, accountability and reporting on investment, communication to stakeholders, and data-driven learning. It will also support data-driven proof of programmes at outcome and impact level. Akvo supports this by enabling:

  • Reliable and timely data to use the scarce (financial) resources we have in the most effective way
  • Inclusion by targeting the most deprived people; and
  • More coordinated monitoring of the sector to efficiently invest.

In order to be able to develop sustainable planning and efficient resource allocation, all actors in the water sector need a set of timely and accurate information. Different data systems can provide information like reporting and M&E mechanisms, national monitoring and budgeting for WASH services management.


For water resource management, information systems about water allocation and stakeholder-needs should help decision makers to plan investments and prioritise resource allocation. For building resilience, information management about extreme hazard events, floods, droughts and prediction support, etc. requires better planning and preparedness to mitigate extreme hazard events.


When information is made available and main stakeholders take more efficient decisions on scarce funding resources (e.g. from policy makers, to civil society and/or funding agencies), they are likely to achieve better outcomes, increase return on investment, and improve programme efficiency and management.

 

In the long term, investments are needed in a comprehensive and coordinated multi-sector approach so that water data can be accurate, open, shared and reused to achieve maximum impact. We aim to offer services that provide value in the long run, for citizens and governments with water sector stakeholders, and aim to limit the duplication of efforts with a holistic data ecosystem approach. We use information as the anchor to enhance capacity for a better future. Eventually, each citizen is impacted by decisions on water management and thus has a role to play in deciding about their own water safety, access and decisions.

 

Partners

Public sector : government and water ministries, local governments and municipalities, River basin agencies, etc

NGOs, local organisations, water user organisation, international organisations and multilateral organisations

Community and citizen

Private sector Data fund

Additional information

Link to the side event : https://akvo-1891949.hs-sites.com/webinar/data-is-the-new-water

https://datajourney.akvo.org/blog/data-is-the-new-water

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Timeline
01 January 2023 (start date)
31 December 2032 (date of completion)
Entity
Akvo
SDGs
Region
  1. Global
Other beneficiaries

Global

More information
Countries
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Central African Republic
Central African Republic
Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
Fiji
Fiji
Guatemala
Guatemala
Indonesia
Indonesia
Kenya
Kenya
Liberia
Liberia
Mali
Mali
Mozambique
Mozambique
Netherlands
Netherlands
Niger
Niger
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Global Action Plan
Uganda
Uganda
United States of America
United States of America
Contact Information

Emeline, Water lead