QUICK START GUIDE FOR

FRESHWATER HEALTH INDEX TOOLBOX

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Table of Contents

1 Freshwater Health Index 3

2 Introduction to Freshwater Health Index toolbox

2.1 Installing the FHI toolbox 4

2.2 Uploading basin shapefile 4

2.3 General Features 4

2.4 File Menu Options 5

2.5 Weighting Indicators 6

2.6 Indicator Metadata 7

2.7 Indicator Import 8

2.8 Indicator Help 9

3 Ecosystem Vitality

3.1 Water Quantity – Flow Deviation 10

3.2 Water Quantity – Groundwater Storage 11

3.3 Water Quality 12

3.4 Basin Condition – Channel Modification/Land Cover Naturalness 13

3.5 Basin Condition – Connectivity 14

3.6 Biodiversity – Species of Concern/Invasive Species 15

4 Ecosystem Services

4.1 F1 Evidence Level 16

4.2 F2 Evidence Level 17

4.3 F3Fuzzy Evidence Level 18

4.4 F3Sharp Evidence Level 19

5 Governance and Stakeholders 20

Freshwater Health Index

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1. Freshwater Health Index

The Freshwater Health Index (FHI) is a scientific tool that assesses the health of freshwater

ecosystems through various indicators at the basin scale. Built on a solid foundation of science,

the FHI provides extensive decision support to societies for sustainable and equitable

management of their freshwater systems. It makes clear connections between the ecosystem,

the services it provides to people and the governance systems in place.

The Freshwater Health Index toolbox was developed to facilitate the implementation of an FHI

assessment. The toolbox assists in the process of consolidating and organizing data for indicator

calculations. In this user guide, you will learn how to use the Freshwater Health Index toolbox and

its following features:

1. Navigating the toolbox

2. Uploading data for each indicator

3. Setting indicator weights

4. Exporting saved data

5. Accessing the help menu and full documentation of the FHI

Data

The data used for this quick start guide is available at https://www.freshwaterhealthindex.org/fhi-

tool-tutorial. Download and extract the .zip file to access the mock data for each indicator.

For more information

Visit www.freshwaterhealthindex.org

Contact us at info@freshwaterhealthindex.org

Introduction to Freshwater Heath Index Toolbox

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2. Introduction to Freshwater Health Index Toolbox

2.1 Download and install the FHI toolbox

1. Download the open source FHI toolbox installer for Windows from the webpage:

https://www.freshwaterhealthindex.org/fhi-tool-download

2. Run the installation file (.msi) once downloaded.

Note: User will require admin rights on the system for successful installation.

2.2 Uploading Basin Shapefile

2.3 General Features

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7

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8

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1 2 3

1. To begin using the FHI

tool, import your basin

shapefile.

(Note: Mock data can be

found under 01_Introduction

folder as basin.shp)

1. File menu options

2. Set indicator weights,

import indicators and

change metadata

3. Generate a MS word

report

4. Summary scores of

indicators

5. Zoom to basin

6. Export PNG of basin

7. Change map display

settings

8. Refresh map

Introduction to Freshwater Heath Index Toolbox

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2.4 File Menu Options

1. Navigate to the File Menu Options.

2. You can save the data entered in an assessment as a .fhix file using ‘Save’ or ‘Save As’.

3. To load a previously saved assessment, click ‘Open’ and browse for the .fhix file.

4. To change the information of the assessment, click ‘Info’ and key in the relevant

information.

5. You can change the basin shapefile with ‘Basin’ and clicking ‘Change Basin Shapefile’ or

export the current basin shapefile with ‘Export Basin Shapefile’.

Save your .fhix

assessment file

Load a previously

saved .fhix file

Introduction to Freshwater Heath Index Toolbox

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2.5 Weighting Indicators

1. Click on the pencil button on the top left corner.

2. Manually change the indicator weights OR Import your .csv file of indicator weights.

3. Click ‘Ok’ to save your changes.

Upload csv file with

indicators’ weights

Manually change

the weights

Click ‘Ok’ to

save changes

Introduction to Freshwater Heath Index Toolbox

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2.6 Indicator Metadata

1. Click on the pencil button on the top left corner of the window.

2. Click ‘Indicator Metadata’.

3. Click the dropdown arrow to access the sub-indicators.

4. Click the blue circle to open the metadata for each sub-indicator

5. Here, you can add a description and change the uncertainty of the data

6. You can also override the indicator value with a manual calculation. To do this, tick

‘Override indicator value’.

7. Key in the new value and reason for overriding the value.

8. An alternative way to access the metadata is to right click the indicator panel and click

‘Metadata’ to access that indicator’s metadata (see p. 9)

Click arrow to

open dropdown

Click ‘Indicator

Metadata’ tab

Introduction to Freshwater Heath Index Toolbox

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2.7 Indicator Import

1. Click the pencil button on the top left corner of the window.

2. Click ‘Indicator Import’.

3. Click ‘Open’ to load a previously saved .fhix file.

(Note: Mock data can be found under 01_Introduction folder as mock_fhi_training.fhix)

4. Find the indicator of interest with the dropdown arrows and click ‘Import’ to import indicator

data for this particular indicator (Flow Deviation in this example).

With this feature, you can open multiple .fhix files to consolidate data for the same basin into a

single .fhix assessment file for easier reference.

Click ‘Indicator

Import’ tab

Click ‘Import’ to import

indicator data for this

particular indicator.

Introduction to Freshwater Heath Index Toolbox

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2.7 Indicator Help

There are three methods to access the documentation for the FHI:

1. You can access the documentation for each indicator by right clicking on the

indicator panel and click ‘Help’.

2. Clicking on the ‘Help’ tab under file menu options redirects you to the Freshwater

Health Index Documentation page.

3. You can also access the Freshwater Health Index documentation page directly at

https://www.freshwaterhealthindex.org/tool/index.html

Directs you to FHI

documentation page

Right click the

indicator panel

and click ‘Help’

Ecosystem Vitality

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3. Ecosystem Vitality

3.1 Water Quantity – Flow Deviation

3.2 Water Quantity – Groundwater Storage

1. Navigate to Groundwater Storage

2. For ‘Basin Area’, input the total area of the basin with groundwater aquifers.

3. For ‘Affected Area’, input the total area of the basin affected by groundwater depletion.

1. Navigate to Flow Deviation.

2. Manually add or edit the data for one timestep or a full year OR Import excel timeseries

file with the relevant data.

(Note: Mock data can be found under 02_Ecosystem Vitality as DvNF Mock Data)

Upload timeseries

from excel file

Change name

and units

Ecosystem Vitality

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3.3 Water Quality

1. Navigate to Water Quality and upload an excel timeseries file.

2. There are three ways to add and modify the parameters:

(1) Choose from the template of parameters

(2) Defining your own custom parameter

(3) Editing parameters from an imported excel timeseries file with the relevant data.

(Note: Mock Data can be found under 02_Ecosystem Vitality as Water Quality Mock Data.)

3. Add metrics for each parameter, by selecting the threshold or range of compliance.

Upload timeseries

from excel file

Add a metric to set

the non-compliance

threshold Copies the metric

to all similar

parameters

Modifying the

water quality

parameter

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2

3

Ecosystem Vitality

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3.4 Basin Condition – Channel Modification/Land Cover Naturalness

The same method is used for both Channel Modification and Land Cover Naturalness.

1. Navigate to Channel Modification/Land Cover Naturalness.

2. Import a GeoTIFF file with land coverage data.

(Note: Mock Data can be found under 02_Ecosystem Vitality as LCN Mock Data.)

3. You may manually add or edit the data. Ensure that the total percentage coverage is 100%.

Import GeoTIFF

file with land

coverage data

% Coverage must

total up to 100%

Ecosystem Vitality

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3.5 Basin Condition – Connectivity

1. Navigate to Connectivity.

2. Import the River Network shapefile (.shp), then select the reach that is the outlet of the

river network (it will be circled in blue when selected).

(Note: Mock Data can be found under 02_Ecosystem Vitality as River.shp and Dams.shp.)

3. Next, import the Dams shapefile (.shp), set the values of ‘Dam Passibility’ for each dam, or

use the ‘Set all Values’ button.

4. You can also change the Potadromous and Diadromous values with the sliders.

5. Click ‘Recalculate’ to apply all changes.

Upload shapefiles

Changing the weights:

Potadromous: Fish that

migrate within freshwater only

Diadromous: Fish that spend

their life cycles in both fresh

and marine waters

Set the values of

dam passabilities

Remember to

click to apply all

changes

Select outlet

Ecosystem Vitality

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3.7 Biodiversity

1. Navigate to Species of Concern.

2. Import the Species shapefile (.shp) and add the relevant species for the assessment.

(Note: You can download datasets from IUCN at https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/spatial-

data-download)

3. Modify the Species’ information and ensure that the ‘Red List Code’ is accurate.

4. Repeat the same steps for Invasive Species.

Import shapefile

with species

information

Edit species

information

Add the relevant

species only

Ensure that Red List

Code is accurate

Ecosystem Services

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4. Ecosystem Services

All Provisioning and Regulating sub-indicators are measured with the same 4 evidence

levels – F1, F2, F3Fuzzy, F3Sharp.

4.1 F1 Evidence Level

1. Navigate to a provisioning or regulating sub-indicator. Choose F1 as the evidence level.

2. Manually add and edit data OR Import excel timeseries file with the relevant data.

(Note: Mock Data can be found under 03_Ecosystem Services as F1 Mock Data.)

3. If the demand is unmet for a particular Spatial Unit, tick the ‘Non-compliant’ checkbox.

Import time series

from excel file

Tick checkbox if

demand is unmet

Manually add data

Ecosystem Services

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4.2 F2 Evidence Level

1. Navigate to a provisioning or regulating sub-indicator. Choose F2 as the evidence level.

2. Manually add and edit data OR Import excel timeseries file with the relevant data.

(Note: Mock Data can be found under 03_Ecosystem Services as F2 Mock Data.)

3. If the demand for a month is unmet for a particular Spatial Unit, tick the ‘Non-compliant’

checkbox.

Import time series

from excel file

If month’s

demand is unmet,

tick checkbox

Ecosystem Services

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4.3 F3Fuzzy Evidence Level

1. Navigate to a provisioning or regulating sub-indicator. Choose F3Fuzzy as the evidence

level.

2. Manually add and edit data OR Import excel timeseries file with the relevant data.

(Note: Mock Data can be found under 03_Ecosystem Services as F3Fuzzy Mock Data.)

3. Key in the value for the relative magnitude of unmet demand/damage for each month on

a scale of 0-10 (0 being the least severe and 10 being the most severe).

Import time series

from excel file

Relative magnitude

of unmet

demand/damage

for each month

Ecosystem Services

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4.4 F3Sharp Evidence Level

1. Navigate to a provisioning or regulating sub-indicator. Choose F3Sharp as the evidence

level.

2. Manually add and edit data OR Import excel timeseries file with the relevant data.

(Note: Mock Data can be found under 03_Ecosystem Services as F3Sharp Mock Data.)

3. For F3Sharp, add the absolute value for the damage or required demand for each month.

Next, add the range or threshold for non-compliance.

Import time series

from excel file

Absolute value

for damage or

required demand

for each month

Range or threshold

for non-compliance

Copies the metric

to all similar

parameters

Governance and Stakeholders

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Click top right

button for setup

5. Governance and Stakeholders

1. Navigate to Governance.

2. Click on the top right button to import survey data.

(Note: Mock Data can be found under 04_Governance as Governance Mock Data.)

3. You will be prompted to choose the ‘User Identifier Column’ and ‘Questions Starting

Column’.

4. Import the .csv file of survey data.

5. You will be prompted with a summary of indicator assignments. Click ‘Done’.

Import .csv file

with survey data

Governance and Stakeholders

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6. Click on each sub-indicator to view the questions asked and answers given for each user.

For more information

Visit www.freshwaterhealthindex.org

Contact us at info@freshwaterhealthindex.org

Survey questions for

each sub-indicator

with user answers