Water monitoring: mapping existing global systems & initiatives, background document - August 2006
The UN-Water Task-force on monitoring has been requested to map existing monitoring initiatives and report to UN-Water at a special UN-Water meeting organised during the World Water Week in Stockholm in August 2006. In preparation for the meeting, FAO, acting on behalf of the Task-force on monitoring, has accepted to perform this exercise in consultation with UN-Water partners. The terms of reference for the preparation of this report were as follows:
• define the scope of the mapping exercise
• perform a review of major water-related monitoring activities within the UN-System and its partners, through internet and in direct contact with UN-Water partners
• review concepts and definitions related to water monitoring, including databases and indicators
• develop criteria and attributes to describe and analyze the different monitoring activities
• design a framework for classifying the different monitoring activities
• present the results of the review in a report and indicate major issues for discussion by UN-Water in relation to optimising and streamlining global water monitoring efforts and impacts.