The Water Portal of the Americas (WPoA)is a water information service, including an Internet web site and other initiatives that enhance the availability of quality water information. The goal is to provide an entryway (portal) to water information, and to create a water information network, community, and resource that will provide qualified, trusted, and verifiable information and contacts.

Information is accessible from two WPoA respositories.

• Network Search: indexes external websites.The sites are provided by a Network of Cooperating Organizations located throughout the Americas. The sites contain local, regional, and international topics and provide some of the best sources for integrated water management and related information.
• WPoA Metadata database: Resources found on the web (events, publications, organizations, etc.) have been identified by contributing personnel as being especially pertinent. These resources are cataloged and described using metadata which allows information to be searched based on resource type, geographic location, and keywords

All of the partners contributing to the flow of water information invite you to join us in the international cooperation effort.

The purpose of the Water Portal of the Americas is to improve access to information thus facilitating the decision-making process. The Water Portal of the Americas will serve as a 'water clearinghouse' serving the informational needs of various communities of users.

The WPoA embraces the following concepts that are integral to the open and free flow of quality information:

• The use of standardized metadata, controlled vocabularies, and qualified sources to describe information
• The use of standards to promote information sharing, the efficient use of resources, and the ability to effectively find information
• Expert teams to review and insure accurate and relevant information is collected.
• Capacity building through workshops and conferences to ensure stakeholders needs are met, and to provide the initiative to unite people into a cooperative, information sharing community.
• Establishing information partners to share information for the common good. Emphasis is placed on recruiting partners and providing them with the tools and knowledge necessary for the development of a comprehensive and integrated water information network. Information partners may participate by using International and WPoA information sharing practices and in turn expand the reach of their material by being integrated into larger search network.

The Water Portal physical and virtual network is facilitating working partnerships, the use of reliable information, the standardization of metadata, efficient access to information without duplication of effort, and ultimately, improvement of integrated water resource management decisions

Focal points of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) and the Inter-American Water Resources Network (IWRN), other water information networks, and the WaterWeb Consortium are providing the foundation for this effort.