[[Image:gemstat1.png|thumb|right|200px|Water points in South America. <br>Photo: GEMStat]] [http://watersdgtoolboxwww.waterandchange.org/toolsen/287-global-environment-monitoring-system-#gemstat?highlight=WyJxdWFsaXR5Il0= GEMStat] is designed to share surface and groundwater quality data sets collected from the [http://www.unep.org/gemswater/ GEMS/Water ] Global Network, including more than 3,700 stations, close to 4.3 million records, and over 100 parameters.
The United Nations Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS) Water Programme is dedicated to providing environmental water quality data and information of the highest integrity, accessibility and interoperability. These data are used in water assessments and capacity building initiatives around the world.
Display them on-the-fly as maps, graphs, data tables (available in the future) or download the data in different formats (available in the future).
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===Search for Data===
To get started, searching for water quality data is possible for your region and there is a checkbox form to help search for certain parameters you are looking for (e.g. iron, ammonia, fluoride, etc.) GEMStat has stations all over the world, so you can find one near you.
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|<font size="3">[http://www.gemstat.org/queryrgn.aspx Search for Data]</font>
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===View in Google Earth===
[[Image:gemstat stations.png|thumb|right|200px|Each station has more information in Google Earth. <br>Photo: GEMStat]]
KMZ files containing GEMS/Water stations for individual countries and for the world are available for download and display in Google Earth. You will find links to these files on those Search for Data web pages that display a map of a country and its stations.
If you view the water points in Google Earth, you will see more information about each station. There are also photos that accompany many of the stations to show the region you are looking at. There are instructions in the link below to download Google Earth software, if you do not already have it installed on your computer. Basically once you download the KMZ files (available after you search in the [http://www.gemstat.org/queryrgn.aspx search for data] link on the GEMStat site) then you simply open the KMZ file and it automatically opens in Google Earth and shows you the region.
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===How to participate in the GEMS/Water network===
Any country in the world is encouraged to participate in the water quality sampling and post it to the database. Instructions for how to do this are in these PDFs:
* [http://www.unep.org/gemswater/Portals/24154/pdfs/op_guide_for_data_2005.pdf Operational Guide: for Data Submission]
* [http://www.unep.org/gemswater/Portals/24154/pdfs/op_guide_for_data_2005_instructions.pdf Operational Guide: Instructions for Station and Data Forms]
====Data Form====
English - [http://www.unep.org/gemswater/Portals/24154/global_network/GEMS%20Op%20Guide%20Data%20Submission%20Form-English-May2012.xls GEMS Op Guide Data Submission Form]
French - [http://www.unep.org/gemswater/Portals/24154/global_network/GEMS%20Op%20Guide%20Data%20Submission%20Form-French-May2012.xls GEMS Op Guide Data Submission Form]
====Station Form====
English - [http://www.unep.org/gemswater/Portals/24154/global_network/GEMS%20Op%20Guide%20Station%20Submission%20Form-English-May2011.xls GEMS Op Guide Station Submission Form]
French - [http://www.unep.org/gemswater/Portals/24154/global_network/GEMS%20Op%20Guide%20Station%20Submission%20Form-French-August2012.xls GEMS Op Guide Station Submission Form]
For guidance on how to design a water quality monitoring program that addresses design, requirements and desired outcomes including recommended sampling sites, monitoring variables, sampling frequencies, operational requirements, data and a quality assurance strategy, refer to the report UNEP GEMS/Water Programme: South Africa Monitoring Program Design.
[[Image:global gemstat.png|none|600px|]]
===Acknowledgements===
* [http://www.unep.org/gemswater/Home/tabid/55762/Default.aspx The United Nations Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS) Water Programme].
