Transboundary waters around the world face significant pressures due to population growth, increasing water demand and the impacts of the triple-planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. Results from the third reporting exercise on SDG indicator 6.5.2 highlight a lack of relevant data and information and difficulties in data and information exchange as two of the three top challenges faced by countries in cooperating on transboundary waters. 

These challenges highlight the need to develop joint data- and information sharing processes, which are fundamental for efficient cooperation, enhanced resilience and emergency preparedness. To address the challenges, the publication Good Practices and Lessons Learned in Data-sharing in Transboundary Basins was developed with the leadership of Finland and Senegal as co-chairs of the Working Group on Monitoring and Assessment, under the framework of the Water Convention.  

Global collection of real-life cases illustrate challenges and solutions  

Good Practices and Lessons Learned in Data-sharing in Transboundary Basins includes 43 lessons learned supported by 78 case studies from around the world. It builds on real-life examples across all levels, illustrating different ways in which monitoring programmes and data-sharing processes can be implemented between riparian countries. As such, it complements existing guidance, such as the Updated Strategies on Monitoring and Assessment of Transboundary Rivers, Lakes and Groundwaters (2023). 

The key messages (see full list below) highlight different aspects crucial to the development of data- and information-sharing processes, such as the need to acquire timely, targeted, sufficient, valid and reliable data and build common understanding of the functioning of the basin as well as the importance of political will, involvement of relevant stakeholders and collaboration across different levels and disciplines. The messages also specify the importance of groundwater data and information for effective water management and the need to develop transboundary early warning mechanisms. 

Sharing best practices in transboundary data- and information-sharing 

Several countries and basin organizations were invited to discuss the importance of data- and information-sharing in transboundary basins and to reflect on the added value of the publication at its launch at the 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties (Ljubljana, 23-25 October 2024). 

Birgit Vogel, the Executive Secretary of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) stated that sharing data and information helped ICPDR and its fifteen contracting Parties to build trust and establish a solid basis for cooperation, leading to the development of quality assurance mechanisms such as the Joint Danube Surveys (Case study 55) and providing data and information to the public through the Danube River Basin Geographic Information System (Case study 75). 

Phera Ramoeli, the Executive Secretary of the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM) described the development of the OKACOM Decision Support System (Case study 52) and how it enables the riparian countries Angola, Botswana and Namibia to access basin-wide data and information and inform each other of planned measures supporting scientifically informed decision-making. 

Macarena Bahamondes from the National Directorate of Borders and Boundaries of Chile appreciated the inclusion of concrete cases and examples in the publication that can guide countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to develop their monitoring and information sharing processes. In the example of Argentina and Chile (Case study 1), she underlined that it is not necessary to have extensive monitoring networks to begin cooperation and information-sharing. Instead by having an established baseline and will to cooperate, countries can discuss their information needs and proceed to establish more advanced networks. 

Foundation for future work on monitoring, assessment and information-sharing 

Good Practices and Lessons Learned in Data-sharing in Transboundary Basins supports the future activities of the Water Convention specifically under Programme Area 2: Supporting monitoring, assessment and information-sharing in transboundary basins, notably the preparations for a Global Workshop on the use of new technologies and innovation for monitoring, assessment and data-sharing. 

The publication and its findings will be translated into French, Russian and Spanish and disseminated in upcoming national, regional and global events organized under the framework of the Convention. An online toolbox of the publication is planned to increase its application and impact.