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WaterScape

Sample data only · nothing verified

Data sources

Data sources

A registry of publishers and data types that WaterScape could explore in future. Only the World Bank is connected (live, on the Insights page); all others are candidates.

Only one external source is connected: World Bank national indicators, read live in your browser on the Insights page. Every other source below is a candidate that is not connected. Nothing here is displayed as a real-world measurement.

Filter by access method

Showing 12 of 12 candidate sources.

  • Government open-data portals (national and local)

    Provider: Government, national or local

    Not connectedCandidate source, not a data feed
    Information type
    Datasets on water, sanitation and environment
    Geographic coverage
    Varies by publisher
    Access method
    Downloadable dataset
    Last successful retrieval
    Never
    Licence and attribution
    Set by each portal (often an open licence with attribution). Must be read per dataset.
    Needed before connecting
    Permission is usually not needed for open data; some portals need an API key.
    Known limitations
    Coverage, formats and update frequency differ greatly between portals and countries.

    Check before any integration

    • Licence and reuse terms
    • Update frequency and dataset date
    • Whether the metadata describes the method

  • National water agencies

    Provider: Public institution

    Not connectedCandidate source, not a data feed
    Information type
    Water resource, abstraction and service reports
    Geographic coverage
    Varies by publisher
    Access method
    Downloadable dataset
    Last successful retrieval
    Never
    Licence and attribution
    Varies; some reports are open, some restricted. Attribution to the agency is expected.
    Needed before connecting
    Possibly a data-sharing agreement or written permission.
    Known limitations
    Often published as reports (PDF) rather than machine-readable data; reference periods differ.

    Check before any integration

    • Whether the publication is official
    • Version and revision history
    • Units and reference period

  • WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (WASH data)

    Provider: International programme

    Not connectedCandidate source, not a data feed
    Information type
    Household access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene
    Geographic coverage
    Varies by publisher
    Access method
    Downloadable dataset
    Last successful retrieval
    Never
    Licence and attribution
    Published by WHO/UNICEF with citation requirements; read the current terms on the programme site.
    Needed before connecting
    Downloadable files; no key expected, but terms must be checked.
    Known limitations
    National estimates for service levels, not individual water points; updated periodically, not in real time.

    Check before any integration

    • Service-level definitions
    • Reference year of each estimate
    • Required citation wording

  • WHO drinking-water publications

    Provider: International health body

    Not connectedCandidate source, not a data feed
    Information type
    Guidelines and technical drinking-water publications
    Geographic coverage
    Varies by publisher
    Access method
    Downloadable dataset
    Last successful retrieval
    Never
    Licence and attribution
    WHO publications carry their own reuse terms; excerpts need proper citation.
    Needed before connecting
    No key. Reuse permissions must be checked for anything beyond short quotation.
    Known limitations
    Guidance and guideline values, not measurements of any particular water source.

    Check before any integration

    • Publication date and edition
    • Whether a guideline is current
    • Reuse permissions for excerpts

  • World Bank open data

    Provider: International financial institution

    Connected (live, in your browser)Live feed: shown on the Insights page
    Information type
    Development indicators, including water-related series
    Geographic coverage
    Varies by publisher
    Access method
    Public API
    Last successful retrieval
    On every Insights page view (not stored)
    Licence and attribution
    Datasets are generally open with attribution; check each indicator page.
    Needed before connecting
    Public API; usage limits apply. A backend would handle requests.
    Known limitations
    National or regional indicators with reporting lags and gaps in country coverage.

    Check before any integration

    • Indicator definitions
    • Gaps in country coverage
    • Latest reporting year per series

  • UN and environmental data portals

    Provider: UN agencies and environmental programmes

    Not connectedCandidate source, not a data feed
    Information type
    Environmental and sustainability datasets
    Geographic coverage
    Varies by publisher
    Access method
    Public API
    Last successful retrieval
    Never
    Licence and attribution
    Varies by agency and portal.
    Needed before connecting
    Some portals require registration or an API key, which must live on a backend.
    Known limitations
    Different definitions and years across datasets; not water-point data.

    Check before any integration

    • Terms of use for the API
    • Rate limits and access keys
    • Metadata on collection method

  • Meteorological and climate services (national met services)

    Provider: National meteorological service

    Not connectedCandidate source, not a data feed
    Information type
    Rainfall, temperature and drought indicators
    Geographic coverage
    Varies by publisher
    Access method
    Public data feed
    Last successful retrieval
    Never
    Licence and attribution
    Set by each national service; redistribution is often restricted.
    Needed before connecting
    May need an agreement, registration or a paid licence.
    Known limitations
    Station density is uneven. Rainfall context does not by itself explain local water availability.

    Check before any integration

    • Station density near the area of interest
    • Real-time versus archived data
    • Licence for redistribution

  • Open geographic data (OpenStreetMap contributors)

    Provider: Community-edited open map, via its own licence

    Available in demoCandidate source, not a data feed
    Information type
    Place and infrastructure locations; map tiles for base map display only
    Geographic coverage
    Varies by publisher
    Access method
    Open geospatial service
    Last successful retrieval
    Not applicable (demo only)
    Licence and attribution
    ODbL: attribution to OpenStreetMap contributors is required.
    Needed before connecting
    Base map tiles are used in this demo under OpenStreetMap's tile policy. A production service needs its own tile provider.
    Known limitations
    Community-edited. It provides geographical base map information, not verified water availability.

    Check before any integration

    • Attribution and licence (ODbL) obligations
    • Contributor-edited accuracy varies
    • Tile usage policy before any live use

  • Water-provider and utility published data

    Provider: Water utilities and suppliers

    Not connectedCandidate source, not a data feed
    Information type
    Tariffs, service areas and outage notices
    Geographic coverage
    Varies by publisher
    Access method
    Public data feed
    Last successful retrieval
    Never
    Licence and attribution
    Set by the utility; republishing needs permission.
    Needed before connecting
    Written permission and, often, an agreed data format or API credentials held on a backend.
    Known limitations
    Covers one provider's area only; tariffs change.

    Check before any integration

    • Whether the utility published the data
    • Tariff validity dates
    • Written permission to republish

  • Community-submitted reports (WaterScape, not live)

    Provider: Platform users and volunteers

    Not connectedCandidate source, not a data feed
    Information type
    Availability, quality and access observations
    Geographic coverage
    Varies by publisher
    Access method
    Manual upload
    Last successful retrieval
    Never
    Licence and attribution
    Contributors would need to agree to how their reports are used and shown.
    Needed before connecting
    A reports backend with moderation and privacy controls. Not built; reports currently stay on the device.
    Known limitations
    Unverified observations. Quiet areas may simply have no reporters.

    Check before any integration

    • Moderation and verification process
    • Privacy of reporters and locations
    • Clear labels for unverified reports

  • Academic research publications

    Provider: Universities and research institutes

    Not connectedCandidate source, not a data feed
    Information type
    Peer-reviewed studies and supplementary datasets
    Geographic coverage
    Varies by publisher
    Access method
    Downloadable dataset
    Last successful retrieval
    Never
    Licence and attribution
    Papers and supplementary data have individual licences; some are paywalled.
    Needed before connecting
    Permission from authors or publishers for some data.
    Known limitations
    Study areas and periods are specific and may not generalise.

    Check before any integration

    • Licence on supplementary data
    • Method quality and sample size
    • Correct citation of each study

  • Manually uploaded CSV/JSON

    Provider: Users or organisations

    Available in demoCandidate source, not a data feed
    Information type
    Any tabular or structured water data a user provides
    Geographic coverage
    Varies by publisher
    Access method
    Manual upload
    Last successful retrieval
    Not applicable (demo only)
    Licence and attribution
    You are responsible for the right to use the file you provide.
    Needed before connecting
    Nothing to connect: the Lab file checker reads the file on your device only.
    Known limitations
    Structural checks only. Passing them does not make the data accurate or verified.

    Check before any integration

    • Schema validation
    • Removal of personal data
    • Provenance and file size limits

Have your own CSV or JSON file?

The Data Intelligence Lab includes a checker that reads a file privately on your device (500 KB limit, CSV or JSON), reports problems and sends nothing anywhere. It checks structure only; it does not make the data verified or connected.

Open the file checker

How a real connection would be made

A listed source only becomes “connected” after: its licence is confirmed, any API key or permission is obtained, a backend service holds that key (keys are never placed in this website's code), retrieved records pass validation, and the retrieval date is shown beside every figure. Limits and terms of use must be respected; access restrictions are never bypassed.

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