Abstract
At the international level, the term “water security” (WS) has gained
increasing attention in recent decades. At the operational level, WS is
assessed using tools that define the concept using a variety of
dimensions and sub-dimensions, with qualitative and quantitative
indicators and parameters. The breadth of tools and concepts is an
obstacle to the operationalization of the concept of water security
(WS). Clearly we need a range of diverse data to evaluate water security
(WS). However, there are several barriers to designing an optimal Data
Gathering Strategy (DGS). Such a strategy must strike a balance between
a wide range of competing and overlapping data requirements and
characteristics including: resources, information, and impact. The
conceptual aim of the framework can be summarised as shifting the focus
of the DGS from a “data to information approach” to a “data to action
approach”. The specific aims of this paper are to: identify the key
issues that should be addressed in designing a Data Gathering Strategy
for Water Security (DGSxWS); communicate the key issues with a clear
conceptual framework; and suggest approaches and activities that could
help water practitioners in dealing with the issues identified.