When
Speaker(s)
Building the Internet of Water is not about a single system but about assembling many bricks into a shared foundation for interoperability. Geoconnex provides one of the key structural elements: a linked-data framework for publishing metadata in interoperable formats and linking data to common hydrologic features like streams, lakes, and watersheds. Other bricks include the efforts of individual organizations that publish their own identifiers and metadata, as well as user interfaces, tools, and workflows that apply this framework for data discovery and access. This WRRC Water Webinar will explore how Geoconnex works behind the scenes, including backend standards and APIs that support interoperability and frontend hubs and visualization platforms where users interact with data. It will also emphasize the space in between, where cross-organizational contributions form a common data commons, and local or project-specific portals gain value by connecting to a larger ecosystem. By combining the bricks of organizational data and user-facing tools and the mortar of Geoconnex infrastructure, public agencies and nonprofits can move beyond one-off data integrations and create a durable and interoperable environment for water data. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how Geoconnex supports the collaborative process of building an Internet of Water, one brick at a time.
As Director of the Internet of Water at the Center for Geospatial Solutions, Kyle Onda oversees technology development and stakeholder engagement, collaborating with federal and state agencies, private sector leaders, nonprofit leaders, and academic experts to help modernize and connect water-related data in the United States. Onda has training and experience as an environmental engineer, urban planner, environmental public health professional, geospatial technologist, and social scientist. He holds a PhD in City and Regional planning from UNC–Chapel Hill and also holds master’s degrees in City and Regional Planning and Public Health from UNC and a BS in Environmental Engineering from Stanford.