Website
http://epi.yale.edu/the-metric/help-us-improve-our-global-wastewater-indicator
Description
No time to waste: Crowdsourcing global wastewater treatment data
Worldwide, over 80 percent of wastewater is discharged into water bodies without undergoing treatment, severely impairing human well-being and ecosystem vitality along the way. National performance on wastewater treatment is difficult to quantify and is poorly understood due to a lack of common definitions, poor data collection standards, and limited historical data. To address this, the Yale Environmental Performance Index (EPI), a research group that produces a biennial ranking of country-level environmental performance, developed a first-of-its kind national wastewater treatment indicator.[1]
The indicator assesses wastewater treatment performance for 183 countries, but there are still data gaps and quality issues to address. The Yale EPI is looking to refine and improve its database through a first-of-its-kind innovative effort to crowdsource updates and feedback using an interactive map of wastewater treatment performance.[2] The crowdsourcing effort is targeted at water experts and decision-makers around the world and aims to:
- Validate existing data by working with local experts,
- Improve spatial and temporal data coverage
- Build a wider community of users around wastewater data.
Yale EPI’s wastewater treatment indicator can help improve understanding of the topic, and refine the signal sent to policymakers about proper management.
Keywords (wastewater, crowdsourcing, map, treatment, ecosystem, indicator, EPI, national, global, database)
[1] Malik, Omar A., et al. 2015. “A global indicator of wastewater treatment to inform the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” Environmental Science & Policy 48: 172-185.
[2] Torres Quintanilla, Diego, Peter Hirsch, Samuel Cohen. Wastewater Treatment Map. Environmental Performance Index, Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, 6 July 2015. Web. 26 Aug. 2015. .
Included in
Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Environmental Health and Protection Commons, Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment Commons, Environmental Monitoring Commons, Environmental Policy Commons, Fresh Water Studies Commons, Geographic Information Sciences Commons, Health Policy Commons, Hydrology Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons, Oceanography Commons, Science and Technology Policy Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons, Water Resource Management Commons
Crowdsourcing Global Wastewater Data
No time to waste: Crowdsourcing global wastewater treatment data
Worldwide, over 80 percent of wastewater is discharged into water bodies without undergoing treatment, severely impairing human well-being and ecosystem vitality along the way. National performance on wastewater treatment is difficult to quantify and is poorly understood due to a lack of common definitions, poor data collection standards, and limited historical data. To address this, the Yale Environmental Performance Index (EPI), a research group that produces a biennial ranking of country-level environmental performance, developed a first-of-its kind national wastewater treatment indicator.[1]
The indicator assesses wastewater treatment performance for 183 countries, but there are still data gaps and quality issues to address. The Yale EPI is looking to refine and improve its database through a first-of-its-kind innovative effort to crowdsource updates and feedback using an interactive map of wastewater treatment performance.[2] The crowdsourcing effort is targeted at water experts and decision-makers around the world and aims to:
- Validate existing data by working with local experts,
- Improve spatial and temporal data coverage
- Build a wider community of users around wastewater data.
Yale EPI’s wastewater treatment indicator can help improve understanding of the topic, and refine the signal sent to policymakers about proper management.
Keywords (wastewater, crowdsourcing, map, treatment, ecosystem, indicator, EPI, national, global, database)
[1] Malik, Omar A., et al. 2015. “A global indicator of wastewater treatment to inform the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” Environmental Science & Policy 48: 172-185.
[2] Torres Quintanilla, Diego, Peter Hirsch, Samuel Cohen. Wastewater Treatment Map. Environmental Performance Index, Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, 6 July 2015. Web. 26 Aug. 2015. .
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/dayofdata/2015/Posters/3
Comments
The map itself can be found here: http://www.epi.yale.edu/waste_map