WaterNet the NASA water cycle solutions network

The goal of the WaterNet project is to improve and optimize the sustained ability of water cycle researchers, stakeholders, organizations and networks to interact, identify, harness, and extend NASA research results to augment decision support tools and meet national needs. WaterNet is being build by engaging relevant NASA water cycle research resources and community-of-practice organizations to develop what we term an “actionable database” that can be used to communicate and connect NASA Water cycle research Results (NWRs) towards the improvement of water-related Decision Support Tools (DSTs). An actionable database includes enough sufficient knowledge about its nodes and their heritage so that connections between these nodes are identifiable and robust. Recognizing the many existing highly valuable water-related science and application networks, we will focus the balance of our efforts on enabling their interoperability in a solutions network context. We initially focus on identification, collection, and analysis of the two end points, these being the NWRs and water related DSTs. We will then develop strategies to connect these two end points via innovative communication strategies, improved user access to NASA resources, improved water cycle research community appreciation for DST requirements, and improved identification of pathways for progress. Finally, we will develop relevant benchmarking and metrics, to understand the network’s characteristics, to optimize its performance, and to establish sustainability. The WaterNet will deliver numerous preevaluation reports that will identify the pathways for improving the collective ability of the water cycle community to routinely harness NWRs that address crosscutting water cycle challenges.