AquaWatch4Lakes

Reprinted in it’s entirety with permission from CSIRO’s AquaWatch Australia Project. Photo credit CSIRO

World Lakes Day – Improving Lake Water Quality from Ground to Space

Water, in all its forms, is essential for life. Across the world, lakes provide critical resources that support ecosystems, biodiversity, local economies, agriculture, health and wellbeing, and cultural and community traditions. For millions of people, healthy lakes are fundamental to sustainable livelihoods and environmental resilience.

Yet many lakes are facing increasing pressure. Growing populations, expanding agricultural activities, overexploitation of water resources, and intensifying fishing and aquaculture practices are placing unprecedented demands on these valuable systems. As a result, water quality is deteriorating in many regions, threatening ecosystems, food security, and the communities that depend on them. Something needs to change.

The first step towards effective lake management is understanding lake health through reliable water quality monitoring. However, monitoring water quality is far from simple. A complex combination of environmental and human-driven factors influences lake condition, and decision-makers require accurate, accessible, and timely information to understand current conditions, identify emerging pressures, and evaluate potential management actions.

This is where the AquaWatch4Lakes Indonesia project is making a difference.

AquaWatch is an Australian-led initiative that aims to improve water quality monitoring and management by combining satellite Earth observation with in-situ sensor networks and advanced data analytics. In Indonesia, CSIRO is working in partnership with the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), its counterpart in the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS), Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), University of Hasanuddin and other local key stakeholders to demonstrate how innovative technologies can support better water management outcomes.

The AquaWatch4Lakes demonstration in Lake Tempe, South Sulawesi, showcases how observations from both space and the ground can be integrated to provide a more complete understanding of lake dynamics. Satellite Earth observation data provides valuable insights into seasonal changes across the lake, revealing patterns linked to weather events, aquaculture expansion, boat traffic, and the spread of problematic aquatic vegetation such as water hyacinth. Through partnerships with international Earth observation programs, AquaWatch can access decades of satellite imagery from missions such as Landsat and Sentinel. These long-term datasets enable scientists and water managers to track changes in water quality over time, identify trends, and better understand how both natural processes and management decisions influence lake health.

However, satellite data alone cannot tell the whole story. While Earth observation provides extensive spatial coverage and historical context, in-situ monitoring delivers detailed measurements of key water quality parameters directly within the lake. This ground-based information is essential for validating satellite observations and providing the finer-scale insights needed for effective management.

By combining Earth observation data with in-situ sensor networks in Lake Tempe, AquaWatch creates a powerful and comprehensive water quality monitoring system. The resulting information can support evidence-based decision-making, improve awareness of emerging risks, and help local stakeholders respond more effectively to changes in lake condition.

On this World Lakes Day, AquaWatch4Lakes Indonesia highlights the importance of bringing together science, technology, and international collaboration to protect our vital freshwater resources. By connecting observations from space with measurements collected on the ground, AquaWatch is helping transform how lakes are monitored and managed.

Healthy lakes underpin healthy communities, ecosystems, and economies. With better information and smarter tools, we can make more informed decisions today to safeguard lake water quality for future generations and contribute to the global goals of restoration, resilience, and sustainable water management.

CSIRO’s in-water quality monitoring sensor kit deployed on Lake Tempe, Indonesia.

CSIRO’s Hydraspectra and in-water quality monitoring buoys (in background) deployed on Lake Tempe, Indonesia.

Maintaining the sensors in Lake Tempe, Indonesia.

Maintaining the sensors in Lake Tempe, Indonesia.

Maintaining the sensors in Lake Tempe, Indonesia.

Lake Tempe, Sulawesi, Indonesia