Resource information
This information note covers a twenty year history of the collection and analysis of water-related data and its dissemina - tion as an international public good, freely available to all. The main country database on water resources and their use—itself a major challenge to present in uniform terms—provides the platform for organizing and presenting over 180 variables and indicators that can be searched and extracted for all countries and for dierent regions over an extensive time period. The process of collecting and checking the data has resulted in the establishment of a unique network of collaborators who provide data, use data from other countries for comparative purposes, and exchange views and expe - riences on how best to measure and account for water-related use. Users range from international private companies to non-governmental organizations, and virtually all signicant reports related to water depend on the data provided by AQUASTAT. New technologies will improve data availability and provide new routes for users to obtain data, but the structure and experience underlying AQUASTAT will certainly remain central and basic to organizing those data and ensuring free international distribution.
