Spatial Datasets

Transboundary Freshwater Spatial Database
Biophysical, socioeconomic, and geopolitical data relating to the world's international river basins are accessible and searchable through spatial and tabular formats.  Shapefiles are available for the river basin delineation from 2014, 2016, and 2018, through interactive interfaces or for download.  

International River Basin Register 
A register of the most current delineation of the world’s 310 international river basins, mapped by continent and basin country unit (the part of a basin that lies within one country). Regional maps and a downloadable excel file of spatial statistics for each basin are available in the 2018 Register of International RIver Basins. 

International Tabular Datasets

International Freshwater Treaties Database
A searchable database of over 600 international, freshwater-related agreements, covering the years 1820 to 2007. The 2019 update to the database is currently being processed. 

International Water Event Database
A searchable database documenting historical international water relations from 1948 to 2008.

International River Basin Organization (RBO) Database
A database, compiled by Susanne Schmeier, of the currently known international river basin organizations coded by basin and countries involved, including level and type of collaboration, principal issue(s), date of creation, a short description of the organization and the source.

Transboundary Wetlands Database
A database of more than 300 transboundary wetlands. The database includes information on Ramsar designation, situatedness within international river basins, and presence of a river basin organization (RBO).

Regional Water Governance Benchmarking Project (ReWaB)
A study of water governance capacity in five Middle East North Africa Region (MENA) countries: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Turkey, and Oman, including a collection of searchable legal and policy documents from each country, as well as records from workshops held in the MENA region.

United States Tabular Datasets

U.S Interstate Freshwater Compacts Database
A searchable database of 39 U.S. inter-state freshwater compacts, coded by the basin(s) and states involved, date signed, topic, allocation measures, conflict resolution mechanisms, and non-water linkages.

Collection of Research and Datasets on the Colorado River Basin
Research and data collected by then-OSU student Nathan Eidem on the Upper Colorado River Basin for his PhD dissertation.  Includes a searchable database of events in the regions from 1970-2005.

Collection of Research and Datasets on the Columbia River Basin
Research and data collected on the Columbia River Basin from projects completed 2010 to the present. Includes collaboration with the Universities Consortium on Columbia River Governance, the film A River Loved, and several Master's and PhD research by OSU graduates.

Basin Level Datasets for Anticipating Future Water Scarcity and Conflict in Oregon
A set of data and research complied between 1990-2004 to gain an understanding of water resources in Oregon that compares hydrologic data, demographic data and hydro-political data.

Note about Data Use

Wide use of electronic and hardcopy versions of data, GIS coverages, and findings produced by the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (TFDD) project is encouraged.  The data, coverages, and findings are not copyrighted, although due credit is appreciated.  Please attach this credit when citing TFDD products:

“Product of the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University.  Additional information about the TFDD can be found at: http://transboundarywaters.science.oregonstate.edu.” 

If the product is to be used on the web, a hot link to the above address would be appreciated.

If you have questions regarding use of data or maps, please contact us.