Cofunded by the European Union

One of the tasks of Water4All is to work on the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and help the members of the water community to integrate them.

A Working Group dedicated to exchanges on FAIR principles has been set up and works on real-life sharing to bring accurate observations and experiences. Other events, such as the workshop held in late 2025, have contributed to a 20-page guide (link here) drawn up on these principles and adapted to water issues. This document is a living frame to be updated with the Working Group's work.

The Water4All document aims to identify standards to implement as part of the FAIR journey. It explains each principle and sub-principles, giving precise definitions to avoid misunderstandings. It also helps to apply these principles in the water field.
The recommended approaches are one of the various outputs from the Water4All task on FAIR.
Identified standards are already used by several members of the water community, which guarantees their suitability within our community.

What are the FAIR principles?

The FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) are designed for scientific data management and stewardship. They are guidelines made to improve digital assets for better management and sharing of data, making it easier for both humans and machines to locate and use data effectively.

The acronym and principles were defined in March 2016  by a consortium of scientists and organisations.

Where do the FAIR principles come from?

These principles come from two main initiatives established during the 90s to build a common framework for data:

  • The spatial data infrastructure initiatives were formalised (in the 90s) within the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) through standards and best practices. Based on this approach, the INSPIRE Directive was introduced in Europe (rules for sharing geospatial and environmental data in Europe).
  • The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) (in 1994) also spearheaded a considerable collaborative effort to provide a set of technologies, standards and best practices that form the basis for representing, publishing and sharing data via the web in a standardised way.

The cooperation between the OGC and W3C led to a real paradigm shift in the specification of technical standards for interoperability and FAIR principles.

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To go further: Videos of the workshop are available on demand (time: approx. 2 hours each one) at the following email address: water4allcommunication[at]agence.recherche.fr

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The Water4All Partnership - Water Security for the Planet - is a funding programme for scientific research in freshwater. It aims to tackle water challenges to face climate change, help to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and boost the EU’s competitiveness and growth.

It is co-funded by the European Union within the frame of the Horizon Europe programme (a key funding programme for research and innovation). The Partnership duration is for seven years from 2022.

The Water4All objective is to enable water security at a large scale and in the long term. Its goal is also to tackle water issues in a holistic frame. 

All forms of life on earth need water. All human activities operate with this resource. Water is part of our everyday life. It is also integrated within urban and countryside landscapes. It is one of the most valuable elements we share with plants and animals.

These simple facts must be kept in mind to understand the Water4All ambition.

This resource is weakened in many places due to climate changes, and human habits. We know that we can improve the way we use water. Everyone has a role to play and especially the scientific research community.

Scientific research is the heart of the Partnership as It is a powerful tool to improve knowledge on preserving, restoring, and managing this essential resource. 

International cooperation is also needed as water has no borders on Earth and runs from one country to another.

Water4All brings together a broad and cohesive group of 90 partners from 33 countries in the European Union and beyond. This consortium gathers partners from the whole water Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) chain.