Wherever there are people, there is water and the essential need to manage where it is, where it flows, and how it’s used. To do so, communities employ water management practices to control or move water resources to minimize damage to life and property and to maximize its safe, efficient, and beneficial use. Such practices can include building dams to control flooding, enacting rules and policies to prevent groundwater contamination, and monitoring water used by people for irrigation, industry or drinking. 

NASA research and data breakdown water management into four subtopics: groundwater, stormwater or wastewater management and water storage. Our data have many water management uses, such as monitoring cyanobacteria levels, monitoring droughts, and mapping the locations of inland waters.