UNESCO-IHE Online Course: Water Quality Assessment

Over large parts of the world, rivers and lakes show increasing trends of water pollution. This holds especially for developing countries under economic expansion and increasing population sizes. Evaluation of the physical, chemical and biological water quality is essential for the abatement of freshwater pollution. For this, sound and sustainable water quality assessment programmes aim at integrating the different steps in the monitoring cycle, from the information needs, monitoring network design, field and laboratory procedures up to data collection and processing. The resulting water quality data can then be evaluated together with the natural water quality, human effects and water quality usages. Optimization of the water quality monitoring programmes should ensure that these programmes are sound and sustainable.