IGRAC launches new GGMN Portal

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IGRAC has launched its new Global Groundwater Monitoring Network (GGMN) Portal. This new GGMN portal gives insights on the availability of groundwater monitoring data across space and time. Groundwater level data and changes occurring in groundwater levels can be displayed on a regional scale. Additional data layers and information are available to understand the monitoring data in a broader water-related context. This week, the new portal will be used for the first time during the GGMN Regional Workshop for South-East Asia, which will take place in Bangkok, Thailand. IGRAC can also provide a password protected environment within its GGMN portal for UNESCO member states that are interested in making use of it. 

Web-based application

The web-based software application assists in the spatial and temporal analysis of monitoring data. The system is integrated with QGIS to process data offline. QGIS is an open source Geographic Information System that contains variety of functionalities to analyse the data and create spatially interpolated groundwater level maps.

The GGMN portal has a public view mode that is meant for the general public, including researchers, consultants, teachers, policy makers and NGOs. From the publicly available data, changes in groundwater level point measurements can be calculated and visualised over time on a regional and a global scale.

Protected environment

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Member states which are interested in making use of the GGMN are provided with a password protected environment within the GGMN application. This allows users to upload, interpolate and analyse the groundwater data using the following options:

  1. Representative groundwater point measurements can be uploaded to the protected environment. Alternatively, measurements can be transferred from a national system via web services. 
  2. Data can be displayed showing the mean, range or change in groundwater level for a selected time period. 
  3. The GGMN is integrated with QGIS to process data offline. Point measurements can be combined with proxy information and personal expertise to create groundwater level maps. Produced groundwater maps can be shared via the online GGMN Portal. 
  4. Time series analysis can be performed for each point measurement location to better understand temporal changes of groundwater levels. The time series analysis is a step-by-step procedure to identify trends, periodic fluctuations and autoregressive model. Time series analysis helps defining optimal monitoring frequencies, one of the key components of groundwater monitoring network design.

Database connections

Many countries already have online databases but currently only few provide open-access to groundwater data. In collaboration with the countries supporting international data sharing, IGRAC is establishing automated data flows between these countries’ national databases and the GGMN.