Chapter 01
Acquisition
The evidence begins on the survey line
At Tankessé, field observations are recorded with survey geometry, instrument configuration and location context so every later decision can be traced back to how the signal was acquired.
Better water decisions. Stronger water security.
W4A is an open water data and decision-support platform connecting community needs, water services and infrastructure, field science, environmental evidence and trustworthy modelling. Groundwater and drilling intelligence are core capabilities—not the limit of the mission.
Community water point · daily collection
First pilot node
Côte d’Ivoire
Platform architecture
54 African country nodes prepared
Evidence chain
Observe → Understand → Predict → Validate → Act
Public-data safeguards
Precise locations remain controlled
The decision problem
Water security needs more than a promising map
Communities, technicians and institutions need evidence that connects access and demand, service continuity, water quality, infrastructure, groundwater, climate, field outcomes and uncertainty. W4A is designed to preserve that chain—from the first observation to a governed public decision.
One connected workflow
One decision chain, five pillars
Water-security decisions become more defensible when access, services, resources, infrastructure, environment, prediction and validation are connected rather than treated as separate projects.
01
Observe
Collect and preserve evidence on community access, water points, services, infrastructure, groundwater, water quality, climate and the environment.
02
Understand
Harmonize heterogeneous sources, visualize coverage and make provenance and data quality explicit.
03
Predict
Develop reproducible, uncertainty-aware models for access stress, future demand, service reliability, resource sustainability and intervention priorities.
04
Validate
Connect maps and recommendations to field surveys, drilling, pumping tests and follow-up observations.
05
Act
Turn evidence into usable information for communities, engineers, institutions, researchers and decision-makers.
Public groundwater explorer
Côte d’Ivoire previewExplore published groundwater evidence
Preview the public evidence available through the Côte d’Ivoire pilot node. The complete explorer provides filters, record details and broader navigation.
Public map legend
Verified published recordPublic position may be generalizedPublished-evidence coverage
Loading published evidence…
Public-data safeguard
Only records approved for public release are shown. Coordinates may be generalized.
Coverage represents published evidence density—not groundwater potential or drilling probability.
Understand public-data safeguards →First national pilot node
PilotCôte d’Ivoire: first national demonstrator
Test a reusable national-node architecture that connects governed groundwater evidence, field science and privacy-safe public decision support in Côte d’Ivoire.
What exists now
The shared platform foundation, Côte d’Ivoire node, contribution governance, public-data APIs and field-evidence workflow are implemented and under validation.
What remains planned
Broader institutional participation, additional verified datasets, operational deployment and measured impact depend on validation, partnerships and resources.
Tankessé field evidence journey
Field evidence tests every model
A model is a hypothesis expressed with data—not measured truth. Acquisition records how signals were observed; interpretation states uncertainty; drilling and water outcomes test whether the hypothesis survives contact with the field.
Chapter 02
Processing and interpretation
Signals become a testable interpretation
The Tankessé profile is quality-checked and processed to identify responses worth investigating. The interpretation remains connected to the source data, parameters and uncertainty—it is not presented as groundwater truth.
Chapter 03
Field test
The interpretation meets the ground
A selected target becomes a field hypothesis. Drilling records lithology, construction and encountered conditions, including outcomes that differ from the original expectation.
Chapter 04
Observed outcome
Water closes one loop—and starts the next
Observed discharge creates evidence for comparing the interpretation with field performance. Successes and unsuccessful outcomes both remain part of the record for learning and better future decisions.
This sequence documents a scientific workflow. A conductive response can guide investigation, but it is not proof of groundwater; drilling and observed field outcomes provide the validation evidence.
Trust and data governance
Data before algorithms
The platform is designed around traceable observations, provenance, quality, uncertainty and privacy. AI will support decisions; it will not replace field evidence.
Provenance stays with the evidence
Sources, methods, dates, processing history, licences and review status remain connected to scientific records.
Precise locations remain controlled
Permission to store a coordinate is not permission to publish it. Public geometry follows explicit consent and governance rules.
Access and decisions remain controlled
Roles, country scope and publication status govern access. Contribution, review, promotion and public release remain separate, auditable decisions.
Ways to participate
A clear pathway for every evidence contributor
Each pathway explains what can be submitted, which evidence is expected and how review protects contributors and scientific integrity.
CommunitiesReport a new water point or update its condition and local context.Eligibility: People with direct local knowledge of the water point and permission to share the observation.Expected evidence: Location-sharing choice, current condition, observation date, local context and consent.After submission: The report stays private while quality checks and authorized review determine whether clarification or governed publication is appropriate.TechniciansSubmit structured construction, measurement and field-validation observations.Eligibility: Field professionals able to identify their method, units and observation context.Expected evidence: Method, units, date, instrument or construction details and supporting files where available.After submission: Automated checks flag issues; a scoped reviewer may request clarification before any canonical promotion or publication decision.ResearchersContribute or access governed datasets with reproducibility context.Eligibility: Researchers or data stewards with authority to describe licensing, authorship and permitted access.Expected evidence: Metadata, authorship, provenance, licence, variables, methods and controlled source files.After submission: The dataset enters inspection and scientific review; access and publication follow its licence, sensitivity and explicit approval status.InstitutionsPartner, support review, or explore activation of a governed country node.Eligibility: Organizations with a confirmed mandate and an identifiable institutional representative.Expected evidence: Mandate, country scope, intended role, governance capacity and documented relationship.After submission: The request enters institutional due diligence; no partnership, reviewer authority or country-node status is implied before confirmation.
The project W4A currently supports
ANTICIP-EAU-CIDesign completeAnticipating water-security risk in Côte d’Ivoire
The first project W4A supports — an integrated anticipation and decision-support system tested across three pilot territories. Its household and technician questionnaires shaped W4A’s own contribution forms and data model.
Funding status
FPNR 2026 opportunity alignment · no funding award is claimed
Open science and reproducibility
Published resources onlyMethods should remain usable beyond one project
The resource catalogue separates available software from publications, protocols, training and reports that remain planned until reviewed and published.
Only reviewed and explicitly published resources appear as available outputs; planned materials remain labelled as planned.
Evidence into action
Turn evidence into responsible water decisions
Explore governed public information or contribute observations that can strengthen the evidence base.