Update January 1, 2005

The past few months have brought new partners and projects to World Water Watch (WWW). The New Year looks to be a productive period, consistent with the history and goals of WWW. Thank you all for your assistance and support.

Current Focus

WWW is developing a “Data Center” to compile and track sources of water quantity and quality monitoring data worldwide. Servers will be dedicated to the project with links to our WEB site. We will be providing raw and edited data as well as data summaries for a variety of water resources applications including watershed monitoring, water supply, wellhead protection, conservation, and wastewater treatment systems.

Amazon Monitoring Network (AMNet). WWW is working with universities, government agencies and NGO’s based in the Amazon Basin (Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru) to coordinate monitoring data collection and utilization. In addition to mobile monitoring units, WWW will be establishing permanent monitoring stations at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station on the Tiputini River in the Napo River Basin (a major tributary of the Amazon). This aspect of the project is being conducted with the collaboration and assistance of Boston University’s Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology and the University of San Francisco (Quito).

Our Future

WWW has proposed an Environmental Technology Initiative; Andean Region (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru) to the Inter-American Development Bank. The 5 year project, “Integrating Monitoring Networks with Remote Sensing, GIS and simulation models for sustained environmental remediation and protection” will provide training and demonstration projects at national, provincial and local levels in the participating countries.

During 2005 WWW will be sponsoring and supporting a number of Fulbright activities in recognition of Senator J. William Fulbright’s 100th birth year. Our efforts in conjunction with Harriet Fulbright, the Fulbright Academy of Science and Technology (FAST) and other partner organizations will be directed toward the establishment of a Fulbright Center which will provide a forum for increased American participation and interaction with the world community (see upcoming events).

WWW will be working with the Office of International Programs at NSF as well as the Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology (CECB) to develop curriculum, overseas research experiences, faculty workshops and conferences for improved engineering and science education at the graduate and undergraduate level.
Water Supply and Sanitation in Developing Countries has always been a major activity at WWW. We will be selecting several projects this year from selected countries which will be documented and recorded for technology transfer and educational purposes.

We are greatly expanding our WEB SITE. We expect the new site to be completed by the mid- March.

December/2006 Symposium, “Aquatic Ecosystems; Conservation and Management”, Cambridge, Massachusetts

January/2007 Conference “Advances in Watershed Monitoring, Design and Operation”, Miami, Florida

February/2007 AMNet Workshop “Biological Monitoring Methods”, Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Ecuador

January/2008 “Advances and Applications in Water Supply and Sanitation Systems in Developing Countries”, Miami, Florida

February/2008 Conference, “Amazon Monitoring Network Applications; Present and Future”, Quito, Ecuador