Special interest in relying on technology and understanding of the satellite monitoring of water resources was raised by the 8 Member Countries (MC) of ACTO, which participated in the Regional Workshop of Monitoring of Water Resources in the Amazon Basin in the Framework of SAP Implementation by ACTO, an event which seeks to collect and integrate information from a series of compatible operating systems commonly agreed in the entire basin, held on February 28 at the headquarters of ACTO in Brasilia.
To this end, the MC expressed the importance of using and reinforcing strategic relations with specialized organisms with the knowledge and technology for monitoring water resources based on satellite information. Given that those institutions have experience in the Amazon region, they will be able to provide information for countries to take advantage of the inputs from the different existing satellites providing spatial information and also from SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) recently put in orbit.
In this respect, various organizations, such as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IPH), HYBAM Observatory, which studies the sediment dynamics of the Amazon Basin, linked to the Research Institute for Development (IRD) of France, and the Global Environment Monitoring System for freshwater (GEMS/Water), which supplies the data management about the quality of superficial and underground freshwater, and the calculation of indicators and development through GEMStat information system, participated in the Workshop.
In the Workshop, the countries made known to others how they rely on different public bodies and national allies to conduct water monitoring, explaining the methods and instruments used. They also informed the difficulties and limitations they face in collecting information since it is necessary to cover extensive regions where the rivers pass and important logistics with equipment and personnel are needed in the field.
In this meeting, the representatives of WMO, IPH Unesco, HYBAM-IRD, and GEMS/Water (UNEP) shared the programs and processes conducted regarding water resource monitoring in areas of information, investigation, training, among others, considering the need for cooperation among 8 countries of the region for the monitoring of water resources and the enhancement of its management, especially taking into account the Sustainable Development Goals.
It is expected to encourage the Member Countries to achieve a better understanding of the technical management of innovations and technologies in satellite information strengthening the national capacities to improve the understanding of water resources, which would involve capacities to share the procedures and measurements, among other issues, including calibration campaigns, which is essential to ensure the accuracy and precision of the collected data, the key to making informed decisions in water management.
