Water Information Center

Water Science and Technology Board

Visit the Web site of the National Academies' Water Science and Technology Board

About This Site
Welcome to the U.S. National Academies' Water Information Center. The purpose of this site is to assist the work of water scientists, engineers, managers, policymakers, and students throughout the world. Our mission and commitment is to share the body of work of the U.S. National Academies in the field of water science and technology to be as helpful as possible to those abroad. This site makes it easy to find and navigate a wide range of reports on water-related topics from the National Research Council of the National Academies. The reports contain information that cuts across the fields of hydrology, ecology, environmental chemistry, biology, and the social sciences. All reports are available as Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files or as hard copies. PDFs are downloadable free to persons in most countries classified by the United Nations as "least developed" and many "developing countries" and those of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). A list of countries eligible for free pdfs is available at http://www.nap.edu/info/faq_dc_pdf.html.

There are also short summaries of these reports—briefs, executive summaries, press releases, and other resources—so that you can quickly see if there is something here that will help you. At the subtopic level, we also supply suggested key phrases to link you directly to where they show up in our reports, where you can see them in context. If you don't find these phrases useful, you can enter your own key words.

About the National Academies
The National Academies are non-government, nonprofit organizations that were set up to provide independent scientific and technological advice to the United States government and nation. The National Academies includes three honorary societies that elect new members to their ranks each year—the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine—and the National Research Council, the operating arm that conducts the bulk of the institution's science-policy and technical work. The Academies enlist committees of the nation's top scientists, engineers, and other experts, all of whom volunteer their time to study specific issues and concerns.

About National Academies Reports
The main products of the National Academies are written reports that reflect the consensus of a committee of 10 to 15 experts who are chosen to represent a balance of professional biases. Most reports are carried out at the request of government agencies and funded by them. However, the sponsoring agency does not choose the committee members or influence the report's conclusions or recommendations. The reports are of consistently high quality and are extensively peer reviewed by six to 15 individuals.

About the Water Science and Technology Board
The Water Science and Technology Board (WSTB) is a unit of the National Research Council of the National Academies. Its objective is to improve the scientific and technological basis for resolving important questions and issues associated with the efficient management and use of water resources. The board's scope encompasses all dimensions of water resources, including science, engineering, economics, policy, educational issues, and social aspects.