Enhancing Access, Interoperability and Innovation in Water Research through the WATER4ALL Research Infrastructures and Observatories Repository

Research Infrastructures (RIs) and Observatories (Obs) are essential to the advancement of environmental and water sciences as they offer facilities, services, and data that foster innovative and high-quality research. However, their effective application beyond institutional or national borders is frequently prevented by fragmentation, low visibility, and complicated access mechanisms. In order to promote multidisciplinary research, maximize the benefits of current research infrastructures, and support evidence-based decision-making, these issues must be resolved.

In this context, as part of the European Partnership WATER4ALL, a comprehensive repository of Research Infrastructures and Observatories (RIs/Obs) is being developed to enhance the connections, use, and accessibility of water-related RIs throughout Europe and beyond. With a focus on their services, data provisioning methods, and their ability to provide remote access to their data and services to users outside of the hosting institution itself, the repository offers an organized and effectively categorized overview of a large number of water-related research infrastructures and observatories across Europe and beyond, that is being continually updated.

The WATER4ALL RIs/Obs repository's added value lies in its ability to include as many as possible freshwater-related RIs & Obs in a fully detailed catalogue, enhancing their connectivity and visibility and acting as a major catalyst of the needs and gaps of the European water sector. The repository serves as a link between data producers, academics, researchers and stakeholders by providing data and metadata, encouraging interoperability, and connecting research with policy and innovation. It improves the effective reuse of current investments in research infrastructures, fosters capacity growth, and makes cross-domain research easier. Additionally, it supports coordinated European and worldwide initiatives, including contributions to global water-related policy processes, and helps to strengthen collaboration across RIs.

This paper presets how the WATER4ALL RIs/Obs repository supports research, innovation, collaboration, and excellence in environmental and water sciences by outlining its design principles, implementation status, and expected impact aligned with European water policy directives, SDGs, and key water priorities.