Agencia de Gobierno Electrónico y Sociedad de la Información y del Conocimiento

12 - Connecting Flows: Data for Living Watersheds - Integration of Information on River Basins for Sustainable Managemen

Brief description of the commitment: The aim is to centralize and facilitate access to key environmental information on the river basins of Uruguay and their uses, integrating diverse sources in order to strengthen decision-making and promote citizen participation in the water resource management.

Organization leading the commitment: National Directorate of Environmental Quality and Assessment (DINACEA) - Ministry of Environment.

Supporting Institutions/Organizations: University of the Republic, LATU, OSE, IDB, AGESIC.

Person responsible for the commitment: Alejandro Nario, National Director of Environmental Quality and Assessment. Contact: secretaria.dinacea@ambiente.gub.uy

Technical head:Virginia Fernández, Director of the Environmental Information Division. Contact: virginia.fernandez@ambiente.gub.uy

Stakeholders

1. Government: Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP), Ministry of Public Health (MSP), Departmental Governments, OSE, Academia (universities and research institutes).
2. Civil Society: Civil Society organizations related to the environment and water, rural and trade producers, and the general public.
3. Other actors: Academia, Parliament, private sector, education sector, general public, international agencies.

Implementation period:          December 2025 - July 2028.

Problem definition

What problem does the commitment intend to address?

This commitment seeks to address the fragmentation and dispersion of environmental and land-use information related to river basins in Uruguay. Currently, data is scattered across various institutions, databases, and formats, hindering a comprehensive and timely view of the status of environmental resources. This causes less efficient decision-making, a limited capacity to identify trends and risks, and reduced opportunities for informed public involvement in environmental management.

What are the causes of the problem?

The fragmentation and dispersion of information on river basins and its use is due to several fundamental causes:

• Multiple data sources: Different organizations and actors produce information about water with varied methodologies and objectives, making it difficult to unify.
• Lack of interoperability and standardization: Existing information systems are not designed to communicate with each other, and information does not follow uniform formats, preventing seamless integration.
• Technological limitations: There is an absence of unified platforms and robust tools that allow the integration and visualization of large volumes of geospatial and temporal data.
• Heterogeneous technical capabilities: The different institutions involved present variations in their capabilities for data management and analysis, which contributes to the inconsistency and dispersion of information.

Description of the commitment

What has been done so far to solve the problem?

The National Environmental Observatory (OAN) of the Ministry of Environment has been a significant step in the centralization and dissemination of environmental information, publishing key data and indicators and developing platforms for specific topics. However, integrating information on watersheds still presents significant challenges, and the available data does not always allow for a comprehensive and dynamic understanding of the various factors affecting the aquatic ecosystem.

What solution does it propose?

The creation and implementation of an integrated module or system within the National Environmental Observatory, specifically dedicated to river basins, is proposed. This system will allow:

• Information gathering: To gather relevant data on water quality and quantity, land use, water infrastructure, discharges, biological monitoring and other indicators, from multiple official and technical sources.
• Standardization and harmonization: To develop and apply protocols for the standardization of data and metadata, ensuring their interoperability and consistency.
• Interactive visualization: To incorporate interactive maps, dynamic graphics, and dashboards that allow users to explore information by basin, sub-basin, or specific points of interest.
• Analysis tools: To include basic functionalities for trend analysis, detection of critical points, and report generation.
• Continuous updating: To establish automated and sustainable mechanisms for the periodic updating of information, ensuring its validity and reliability.

What results do we want to achieve by implementing this commitment?

Within the framework of this commitment, the aim is to strengthen decision-making by providing access to more complete, integrated, and up-to-date information on the state of river basins. This approach will improve the planning and implementation of public policies, making them more effective and better aligned with the real needs of the region.

Furthermore, greater institutional transparency is promoted, ensuring that citizens and stakeholders can easily and comprehensibly access relevant environmental information, thus promoting accountability and citizen oversight.

Another key focus is the informed participation of civil society. The aim is to provide citizen groups with tools that allow them to analyze available information and participate more actively and effectively in watershed management processes.

In the field of research and development, priority is given to consolidating data that facilitates scientific work and stimulates innovation in water-related issues, generating valuable inputs for the design of sustainable solutions.

Inter-institutional coordination is also presented as a strategic line, aimed at strengthening collaboration and the exchange of information between the different entities involved in water management.

Finally, the effective dissemination of information related to watersheds and their use is being promoted to facilitate understanding, foster public interest, and encourage appreciation for sustainable management. To this end, storytelling will be used as a narrative tool to convey content in an accessible and meaningful way.

Commitment analysis

How will the commitment promote transparency?

Transparency will be ensured by making information on river basins publicly available on the National Environmental Observatory, with clear metadata and visualizations for everyone. Public data availability will allow the general public and oversight bodies to monitor the impact of environmental management policies and actions, promoting institutional transparency. The platform, with its interactive visualizations, will facilitate public monitoring of water management progress.

How will the commitment help foster accountability?

The commitment to centralize and make available environmental information concerning river basins will facilitate and strengthen accountability. Furthermore, the system will support the evaluation of authorities' performance by comparing data with targets and, by integrating information on permits and discharges, it will allow for the detailed and transparent monitoring of activities that affect environmental resources.

How will the commitment improve citizen participation in defining, implementing, and monitoring solutions? 

This development will foster citizen participation through feedback, citizen science, and data-driven debates. The availability of this information will allow citizens and oversight bodies to monitor public policies and assess the performance of authorities, facilitating the integration of georeferenced environmental permits and authorizations for watersheds.