National Water Information Systems A Tool to Support Integrated Water

Resources Management in the Caribbean

Trevor ThompsonLand Use Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Grenada

5th Caribbean Environmental Forum - June 21-25, 2010 -Montego Bay, Jamaica

Outline

• Introduction

• Case Studies from the Caribbean– Jamaica

– Grenada

• Water Information Systems on the Regional Scale in the Caribbean– Centralized Data Management

– Contribution to Regional Initiatives

– Expansion of the NWIS

IWRM and Water Information Systems

Water Information Systems allow to:

• Coordinate data dissemination and data sharing between data collectors and decision-makers

• Centralize and Standardize data collection across the multiple agencies and sectors involved in water management

• Provide easier access to timely information to assess a country’s water resources for decision-making

Evolution of web-enabled NWIS in the Caribbean

Grenada (2008)• Web based system,

linked to Google Earth - Grenada

• CARIWIN collaborationJamaica (2007)

• Based on St. Lucia model

• Independent financing

St. Lucia (2005)•FAO Collaboration•Lack political support

Level of Complexity

The Jamaica System (WRAMIS)

• Hosted by the Water Resources Authority

– Free internet access via http://www.wra.gov.jm

• Data input only by the System Administrator

• No automatic link with in-house databases

• Regular input files prepared by WRA:

– Streamflow

– Water levels

• Only historical data for water quality

Data collection

Type Stream flow Rain gauge GroundwaterRecording 20 0 0DCP loggers 33 20 0Withtelemetry

1 4 0

Manually read 73 327 278

TOTAL 127 351 278

Structure of WRAMIS

Structure of WRAMIS• Data can be accessed as a report, table or

chart, or downloaded as .txt file

• Data input solely by WRA at this time– But potential for other agencies to add their data

layers to WRAMIS (e.g. rainfall information from Met Service)

Outcomes of WRAMIS

Benefits

• Easier access to data

• Time savings at the WRA in providing data

Challenges

• Software is now outdated

• Update would be costly

• Analysis done in independent software

The Grenada System (NWIS)

• Followed the drafting of a National Water Policy in 2008

• Multi-stakeholder collaboration under the Caribbean Water Initiative (CARIWIN)– Government of Grenada

– FAO

– Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH)

– McGill University

CARIWIN• CARIWIN’s objectives include:

1) Making national water sector data systems compatible with IWRM principles

2) Strengthening CIMH national outreach program which provides water specialists and decision-makers with tools for developing IWRM policies.

• Development of Grenada NWIS facilitated over 7 months

IP ADDRESS www.cariwin.gd

Grenada NWIS Development process

• 1st Workshop:Information gathering exercise with data collectors, data users and stakeholders

• 2nd Workshop & Launch:

Data management, database administration, GIS features, web-based technologies

Primary data collection

• Data collected over 40 rainfall, agrometeorological and meteorological stations

• Streamflow data collections points

• Dams, water treatment plants and wells

MAP LAYERS IN SYSTEM• SOILS• LAND USE• AGROCLIMATIC ZONES• WATERSHEDS• RIVERS• ROADS• METEO STATIONS• TOPOGRAPHIC• WATER INTAKE• WATER BODIES• ADMINISTRATIVE

BOUNDARIES• WATER STORAGE &

PRODUCTION FACILITIES

Grenada NWIS

WebMap Database Interface

Intr

anet

Net

work

INPUTMySQL Database Manager

Administrartor Workstation

MapInfo

ASCII

MS Access

MS Excel

Database

Intranet (Internet) Web&DatabaseServer

GIS

Data Time Series

Documents

Images

Other

Attachements

Database Im

port

TCP/IP Database Access

Remote Client 1

Remote Client i

Remote Client n

Client - Server Database Access

OUTPUT

MapInfo

Table

Graph

GIS

Data Time Series

Attachements

Report

View & Save

ExportUtilities

ImportUtilities

MS Excel

Server Side Client Side

System Features• Accessible via the internet at http://www.cariwin.gd

• User-friendly interface• Raster and Vector Image Map• Accepts various formats of

primary data• All objects in database are geo-

referenced• Possible to restrict data access

or charge access fees• Data can be extracted in

various formats

• Link to Google Earth

Types of data generatedReportsTables Chart File

Excel spreadsheets, Graphs, Statistical Reports, Station Data,

CHART PREPARED FROM RAINFALL DATA

DOCUMENT ATTACHMENT IN SYSTEM

Outcomes

Benefits• Water Resource Assessment• Information Sharing• Inform media briefings, policy• Source of income (sale of

maps to private enterprises)

• Inexpensive to setup and operate – 1 Staff,

• COST: US$32,000 for all Software, Hardware, Input of Data, Consultancy, Training

Challenges

• Timely provision of data and reports

• Capacity building required to learn the software

• Lack of feedback from users

• Data analysis

Issues to be considered• Expansion of the NWIS to include wider functions

e.g. Forecasting, early warning, water quality

• Type, placement and maintenance of instrumentation for data collection

• Staff and incentives for data collection

• Data entry and prevention of error in transcribing each time data is transferred

• Data analysis, interpretation and dissemination

• Who uses the data? And for what purpose?

Suggestions for Improvement

• Establishing guidelines to ensure data accuracy

• Streamlining institutional arrangements

• Computerizing data entry in the field to reduce changes and errors

• Developing simple tools linked with IWRM

• Promoting additional application e.g. Crop production, IWRM planning

Water Information Systems on a Regional Scale

Centralized Data Management in the Caribbean

• Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH)

1) Collect, analyse, and publish meteorological and hydrological data

2) Maintain a service for the upkeep, repair, and calibration of meteorological instruments

Contribution of NWIS to Information Provision by CIMH

• Duplication of the NWIS to a server housed at CIMH

• NWIS facilitates the process of transforming data into information products by CIMH:– Precipitation outlook

– Monthly weather summaries

– Different types of data available

on one system e.g. climatic data,

streamflow and reservoirs

Links to Regional Initiatives1) Caribbean Drought and Precipitation Monitoring

Network (CDPMN)

• Centralized information base makes it easier for the CDPMN to monitor holistically the occurrences of drought in particular across the Region

• NWIS can provide not only rainfall data, but also information on streamflow, reservoirs and groundwater levels, along with water quality information for both Marine and Freshwater

Links to Regional Initiatives

2) Caribbean Agrometeorological Initiative (CAMI)

• Provision of meaningful information to the farming and wider agricultural communities

• Access to information related to water loss and irrigation needs

• Other climate-related activities e.g. Pest and disease predictability, crop weather modeling

Expansion of the NWIS in the Caribbean

• NWIS will enable countries to provide their own data

• Ongoing development of a NWIS in Guyana– Caribbean Disaster Management (CADM) Phase II

– Will build on the prior installations of the NWIS in Grenada, Jamaica and St. Lucia to provide a new standard

– Upgrades from the Guyana system should also be applied to existing systems in the Caribbean

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CO-AUTHORSMarie-Claire St-Jacques, Catherine Senecal, Chandra A. Madramootoo.Brace Centre for Water Resources Management, Macdonald Campus, McGill University, 21111Lakeshore Rd., Ste. Anne de Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada

Andreas HaidukWater Resources Authority, PO Box 91, Hope Gardens, Kingston 7, Jamaica

Adrian TrotmanCaribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), P.O. Box 130, Bridgetown, Barbados

ORGANISERS OF CEF5: CEHI, IWCAM

THANK YOU