International Day for Universal Access to Information 2025: OiEau contributes to transparency and data sharing

In a context where global challenges related to water, climate and the environment require collaborative responses, free, rapid and reliable access to environmental information is an essential lever. It promotes informed governance, citizen engagement and the development of sustainable solutions.

The International Office for Water (OiEau), through its expertise and projects, embodies these principles of transparency, innovation and access to information.

Our expertise:

1. Enhancing data and information systems: the IOW strengthens the capacity of stakeholders to collect, manage and share reliable, accessible and interoperable water data, enabling informed decision-making at local, national and international levels.

2. Facilitating networks for sharing and cooperation: by facilitating networks of expertise and partnerships with various stakeholders, OiEau facilitates the sharing of knowledge and best practices between countries, public actors, NGOs and academic institutions.

3. Technical and educational support: through its comprehensive training offer (face-to-face or e-learning) and educational engineering, and by making its educational platforms available for pilot tests, OiEau makes knowledge available to regions, institutions and decision-makers involved in water and environmental resource management.

4. Technical and institutional support: OiEau supports water stakeholders by providing project management assistance and conducting audits, but also by promoting the exchange of good institutional practices in water management, particularly Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

OiEau runs theWater and Biodiversity Knowledge Base, which offers free, open access to all scientific and technical documentation and news on water and biodiversity. It allows users to search for information by keyword or using an experimental conversational agent based on AI (artificial intelligence) to enable natural language queries within a scope of controlled, neutral and qualitative information.

As projects have progressed, OiEau has developed a methodology for the development of Water Information Systems (WIS) that combines organisational and technical support with procedures and tools. Its strength lies in its approach to cooperation and capacity building. The aim is to help partners establish a long-term vision, drawing on the existing skills, procedures and systems of each partner, within the framework of win-win relationships.

Since its inception in 1993, OiEau has also been responsible for coordinating the National Water Data and Reference Service (SANDRE). For this system, which was set up by the French government to share and make available public sector water data, OiEau has developed technical solutions for data exchange and interoperability with the information systems of the French government and other European countries.

OiEau's actions perfectly illustrate how this environmental information can become a tool for governance, empowerment and sustainable cooperation, provided that it is freely available, shared and used to serve the common good.