VITO and the Horizon Europe OASIS project to host UN Water Conference Virtual Side Event on Earth Observation for SDG 6.3.2 Reporting

How Can Earth Observation Support SDG 6.3.2 Reporting?

Bridging Innovation and Implementation for Global Water Quality Monitoring

Many countries face challenges in monitoring and reporting SDG indicator 6.3.2, which measures the proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality. Earth Observation (EO) offers an important opportunity to complement in situ monitoring, fill data gaps, expand monitoring coverage, and strengthen national reporting capacities.

VITO and the Horizon Europe OASIS project are hosting a UN Water Conference Virtual Side Event bringing together representatives from the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre on Earth Observation (KCEO), UNEP’s SDG 6.3.2 programme, UNEP GEMS/Water, GEO AquaWatch, and others to explore how EO can become an operational component of water-quality assessment and SDG reporting.

From Earth Observation to Earth intelligence

Satellite observations provide increasingly powerful information about the status and dynamics of inland waters. The challenge is to translate these observations into information that can be effectively used by countries, monitoring authorities, and international reporting mechanisms.

The side event will showcase past and ongoing initiatives, pilot activities, and partnerships that connect policy, science, Earth Observation, and operational water-quality monitoring. Within OASIS, particular attention is being given to developing pathways that translate Earth Observation into Earth intelligence supporting SDG reporting.

The discussion will focus on how EO can:

- - - complement existing in situ water-quality monitoring;
    - help fill spatial and temporal monitoring gaps;
    - increase the coverage and availability of water-quality information;
    - strengthen national capacities for SDG 6.3.2 monitoring and reporting;
    - support cooperation between EO experts, water authorities, policy makers, and the SDG reporting community;
    - contribute more broadly to the implementation of SDG 6, including links with indicator 6.6.1 on water-related ecosystems.

Connecting international expertise

The side event brings together expertise from the Horizon Europe OASIS project, European Commission Knowledge Centre on Earth Observation (KCEO), UNEP GEMS/Water, UNEP World Water Quality Alliance, GEO AquaWatch, and the Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMU).

Together, we explore how international collaboration, capacity building, and EO-based solutions can help countries accelerate progress towards SDG 6.

Programme

This webinar will combine presentations from the SDG 6.3.2, Earth Observation and water-quality communities with an interactive session entitled from barriers to recommendations.

14:00 Welcome and introduction – VITO, Belgium (Ils Reusen)

14:05 EO uptake in policy implementation – JRC KCEO, EC (Mark Dowell)

14:15 SDG 6.3.2 reporting: introduction and status report – UNEP World Water Quality Alliance & GEMS/Water (Stuart Warner)

14:25 EO Pathway for SDG 6.3.2 – EMU, Estonia (Carmen Cillero)

14:35 Why EO remains underused in SDG6.3.2 reporting? – VUB, Belgium (Afnan Agramont)

14:45 Network of EO experts for water quality – GEO AquaWatch (Merrie Beth Neely)

14:55 OASIS introduction – SYKE, Finland (Jenni Attila)

15:05 OASIS SDG 6.3.2 and capacity building – VITO, Belgium (Ils Reusen) and University of Cordoba, Argentina (Anabella Ferral)

15:15 Interactive session from barriers to recommendations

15:55 Wrap up

Event details

Event: How Can Earth Observation Support SDG 6.3.2 Reporting?
Subtitle: Bridging Innovation and Implementation for Global Water Quality Monitoring
Host: VITO
Format: Online webinar (Zoom)
Date: 9 December 2026
Time: 14:00-16:00 CET (GMT+1)

Contact: For the event programme and future collaboration: ils.reusen@vito.be For registration and Zoom link: tania.barros@sciencecrunchers.com

Registration

Participation is online via Zoom Webinar. Registration will be open to stakeholders interested in Earth Observation, water quality monitoring, SDG 6.3.2 reporting, capacity building, and the implementation of SDG 6.

Register for the webinar HERE

Following successful registration, participants will be emailed information on how to join the webinar on December 9th.

Join the conversation

How can we move from promising Earth Observation technologies to information that countries can use for SDG reporting?

This virtual side event will provide an opportunity for countries, international organisations, Earth Observation experts, water quality practitioners, and researchers to exchange experiences and identify concrete opportunities for collaboration.

It will also serve as a platform to engage countries and organisations in future pilot activities, capacity building actions, and international partnerships for EO-enabled water quality monitoring and reporting.

Save the date and join OASIS in exploring how Earth Observation can help turn better observations into better information for global water action.