In the heart of Scotland, a unique gathering at the University of Stirling brought together a diverse group of experts to tackle a pressing global challenge: improving water quality monitoring to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6. The goal aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Led by Harriet Wilson, a researcher from the University’s Biological and Environmental Sciences department, the workshop explored how Earth Observation (EO) technologies could revolutionize water quality monitoring, with significant implications for industries like energy that rely heavily on water resources.
The workshop, held in 2024, convened participants from academia, industry, NGOs, and international agencies. Their mission? To brainstorm innovative solutions to address the critical gap in global water quality monitoring, as highlighted in the recent SDG Indicator 6.3.2 progress report. This indicator tracks the proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality, and the report underscored the urgent need for countries to enhance their monitoring capacities.
One of the key barriers to widespread adoption of EO technologies is the lack of awareness and skills, according to Wilson. “There’s a significant gap in understanding how EO can be used to monitor water quality,” she explained. “Our workshop aimed to bridge that gap by fostering creative and collective thinking.”
The workshop yielded four actionable concepts, each designed to harness the power of EO for global water quality monitoring:
1. Space Buzz: A media campaign to raise awareness about the value of EO in water quality monitoring. This initiative aims to educate the public and stakeholders about the benefits of EO, fostering greater support and investment in the technology.
2. Centralized EO Access Hubs: These hubs would empower users by providing easy access to EO data and tools, improving equality and promoting more widespread use of EO for water quality monitoring.
3. Scalable Education Strategies: To build capacity in the use of EO, the workshop proposed developing scalable education strategies. These could include online courses, workshops, and training programs tailored to different user groups.
4. Intergovernmental Panel for Water Quality: This panel would enhance global coordination in water quality monitoring, facilitating the sharing of best practices and promoting the use of EO technologies.
The energy sector, which relies on water for cooling, processing, and other operations, stands to benefit significantly from improved water quality monitoring. By providing more accurate and timely data, EO technologies can help energy companies optimize their water use, reduce costs, and minimize their environmental impact.
The workshop’s innovative concepts, published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Remote Sensing’ (which translates to ‘Frontiers in Earth Observation’), have the potential to shape future developments in the field. By raising awareness, improving access, building capacity, and enhancing coordination, these concepts could unlock the full potential of EO for global water quality monitoring.
As Wilson noted, “The future of water quality monitoring lies in our ability to harness the power of EO. By working together and championing these concepts, we can make a real difference in achieving SDG 6 and ensuring a sustainable future for all.”
The workshop’s outcomes serve as a call to action for EO networks, funders, water resource managers, and individuals. By incorporating these concepts into funding calls and proposals, they can help drive innovation and progress in the field of water quality monitoring, with far-reaching benefits for industries like energy and society as a whole.