Litani River Basin Management Support Program: Water Quality Database Management

However, this extensive data has not been centrally catalogued or managed, hindering analysis and reporting to stakeholders. To address this issue, the LRBMS program has integrated various studies over the past 20 years into a central database, including over 5,000 LRA data points from the past 5 years. The database management work has selected a robust and simple database that utilizes Excel, primarily due to its widespread use and ease of integration with Geographic Information System (GIS) software. The database stores water quality data in a main sheet and allows users to sort and filter data by various categories, including water quality parameters, specific time ranges, and study-specific data. This functionality enables users to generate graphs and reports as needed. The database also facilitates the generation of two different monthly reports: a technical report for internal LRA staff and ministries, and a public report. The technical report is generated by entering the current month's water quality data, which is then used to automatically fill in tables and graphs for use in the report. The public report is based on a Water Quality Index (WQI) developed for the LRA, which summarizes large amounts of water quality data into simple terms for reporting to management and the public. The WQI takes the monthly sampling parameters and uses standardized curves to generate index values. Once measurements have been taken, they are entered into the database, and overall WQI values can be used for public reporting. This database work will help the LRA manage their water quality data while also disseminating information to stakeholders and the public for more active participation in improving water pollution. The database management work has also considered the possibility of transitioning to a more robust platform, such as Microsoft Access or AquaChem, in the future. This would provide additional functionality and capabilities for managing and analyzing water quality data.