GloH2O

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Terms and Conditions

Understand your rights and responsibilities 

Explore the rules and guide­lines for accessing and using GloH2O’s data, tools, and API to ensure a secure and compliant experience. 

1. Introduction

Welcome to GloH2O (“we,” “our,” or “us”). These Terms and Condi­tions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the GloH2O website, including any related services, data products, APIs, or other resources made available through this platform (collec­tively, the “Services”). By accessing, using, or regis­tering on our website, you agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use our website or Services.

GloH2O is a platform dedicated to providing access to global hydro­logical data, tools, and resources to support water resource management, climate research, and decision-making. Our mission is to empower researchers, policy­makers, and stake­holders with reliable, actionable data to address critical challenges in water sustain­ability, conser­vation, and climate resilience. If you have any questions about these Terms, you can reach us at support@gloh2o.org or through the contact form on our website.

2. Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms and Condi­tions, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

  • “Website” refers to the GloH2O website, located at www.gloh2o.org, including all its subdo­mains and related web pages.
  • “Services” refers to all features, function­al­ities, tools, resources, APIs, and data products provided through the Website, including the ability to download data, access APIs, or utilize other tools offered by GloH2O.
  • “Data Products” refers to any datasets, files, reports, or other forms of hydro­logical or related data made available for download or access via the Website or API.
  • “API” refers to the software interface provided by GloH2O that allows regis­tered users to program­mat­i­cally access Data Products or related Services.
  • “User” refers to any individual or entity that accesses, registers, or otherwise uses the Website or Services, including both visitors and regis­tered users.
  • “Regis­tered User” refers to a User who has created an account with GloH2O to access additional features, such as downloading Data Products or using the API.
  • “Content” refers to all text, images, graphics, videos, data, software, and other materials or infor­mation provided on or through the Website.
  • “Third-Party Services” refers to any external platforms, tools, or services that may be linked to or integrated with the Website or Services but are operated by entities other than GloH2O.
  • “You” or “Your” refers to the individual or entity accessing and/or using the Website or Services, whether as a visitor or a Regis­tered User.

3. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Website, Services, or any Content provided by GloH2O, you confirm that you have read, under­stood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Condi­tions, as well as any policies refer­enced herein, including our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with these Terms, you must not access or use the Website, Services, or any associated Data Products.

Use of the Website or Services consti­tutes accep­tance of these Terms, regardless of whether you are a visitor, Regis­tered User, or an entity accessing Data Products or APIs. If you are accepting these Terms on behalf of an organi­zation or entity, you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that organi­zation or entity to these Terms.

Our Website and Services are available to users of all ages. However, if you are under the age of 13, we recommend that you use the Website under the super­vision of a parent or guardian, especially if you are regis­tering or providing personal infor­mation. By regis­tering for an account, you represent that you have provided accurate infor­mation and, if applicable, have the necessary consent to do so.

GloH2O may modify or update these Terms at any time without prior notice. Continued use of the Website or Services after such changes are posted will constitute your acknowl­edgment and accep­tance of the updated Terms. It is your respon­si­bility to review these Terms period­i­cally to remain informed of any updates.

For any questions or concerns about these Terms, you can contact us at support@gloh2o.org or via the contact form on our Website.

4. Eligibility

To use the Website and Services provided by GloH2O, you must meet the following eligi­bility criteria:

  • General access: The Website and Services are open to users of all ages. However, if you are under the age of 13, we recommend that you use the Website under the super­vision of a parent or guardian. Users regis­tering for an account or providing personal infor­mation must ensure they comply with applicable laws regarding the collection and use of data for individuals under 13 years old.
  • Account creation: To access certain features, such as downloading Data Products or using the API, you may be required to create an account. By regis­tering, you represent and warrant that:
    • The infor­mation you provide is accurate, complete, and current.
    • You will maintain the accuracy of such infor­mation and promptly update it if it changes.
    • You are not using the account on behalf of someone else without their authorization.
  • Prohibited users: You may not access or use the Website or Services if:
    • You are prohibited by law from using the Website or Services in your country or jurisdiction.
    • You have previ­ously had your account suspended or termi­nated by GloH2O for violating these Terms or any other policies.
  • User respon­si­bility: You are respon­sible for maintaining the confi­den­tiality of your account login creden­tials and for any activity that occurs under your account. If you believe your account has been compro­mised, you must notify us immedi­ately at support@gloh2o.org.

5. Intellectual Property Rights

All content and materials available on the GloH2O Website, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, icons, images, data products, software, and any other material (collec­tively, the “Content”), are the exclusive property of GloH2O or its licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intel­lectual property laws.

5.1 Ownership

  • GloH2O retains all rights, title, and interest in and to the Website, Services, Content, Data Products, and APIs, including all associated intel­lectual property rights.
  • Users do not acquire any ownership rights in the Content, Data Products, or other materials by using the Website or Services.

5.2 Permitted Use

  • You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-trans­ferable, revocable license to access and use the Website, Services, and Data Products for personal, educa­tional, or non-commercial purposes, in accor­dance with these Terms.
  • Any use of the Content or Data Products must comply with applicable laws and any additional licensing terms that may accompany specific datasets.

5.3 Prohibited Use

You may not:

  • Reproduce, modify, distribute, or publicly display any Content or Data Products without prior written consent from GloH2O or as explicitly permitted under applicable licenses.
  • Use the Website, Services, or Data Products for commercial purposes, unless specif­i­cally autho­rized by GloH2O.
  • Remove, alter, or obscure any copyright, trademark, or other propri­etary notices displayed on the Website, Services, or Content.
  • Reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise attempt to extract source code from any software or API provided by GloH2O.

5.4 Trademarks

The GloH2O name, logo, and other related graphics, marks, or symbols are trade­marks of GloH2O. You may not use these trade­marks without prior written permission, except as allowed by law.

5.5 Third-Party Content

Some Content or Data Products may include materials provided by third parties. Any use of third-party content is subject to the terms and condi­tions specified by those third parties.

5.6 Feedback

If you submit any ideas, sugges­tions, or feedback about the Website, Services, or Data Products, you agree that GloH2O may use such feedback without restriction or compen­sation to you.

6. Use of Data Products and API

GloH2O provides access to Data Products and an API to enable users to retrieve and utilize hydro­logical data for personal, educa­tional, or research purposes. By accessing or using the Data Products or API, you agree to the following terms:

6.1 Permitted Use

  • You may use the Data Products and API solely for lawful purposes, including personal, academic, or non-commercial research, and in compliance with these Terms.
  • Any use of the Data Products or API must adhere to any licensing terms specified for individual datasets or APIs. If a specific license (e.g., Creative Commons) is applied, it will be explicitly stated alongside the Data Product.
  • You may display, analyze, or publish results derived from the Data Products, provided proper attri­bution is given to GloH2O and any applicable third-party contributors.

6.2 Restrictions

You agree not to:

  • Redis­tribute, sell, or commer­cially exploit the Data Products or API without prior written consent from GloH2O.
  • Exceed usage limits or inten­tionally interfere with the perfor­mance or function­ality of the API, including bypassing rate limits or security measures.
  • Misrep­resent or obscure the source of data retrieved from GloH2O in any deriv­ative works or publications.
  • Use the API or Data Products in any unlawful or unethical manner, including activ­ities that could harm others or damage infrastructure.

6.3 Attribution

When using or publishing results derived from GloH2O Data Products or API, you must provide proper attri­bution to GloH2O, as well as to any third-party contrib­utors where applicable. Attri­bution require­ments will be detailed alongside each dataset or API documentation.

6.4 Availability and Modifications

  • GloH2O reserves the right to modify, limit, or discon­tinue access to Data Products or the API at any time without prior notice.
  • While we strive to provide reliable access, we do not guarantee uninter­rupted avail­ability of the API or Data Products and are not liable for any disrup­tions or losses caused by unavailability.

6.5 Responsibility for Use

You are solely respon­sible for the use of Data Products and API in your appli­ca­tions, research, or projects. GloH2O is not liable for any errors, inaccu­racies, or damages arising from your use of the data.

7. Prohibited Activities

To maintain the integrity and function­ality of the GloH2O Website, Services, Data Products, and API, users must refrain from engaging in any activ­ities that are illegal, unethical, or disruptive. By using the Website or Services, you agree not to:

  • Use the Website, Services, or Data Products for any unlawful, fraud­ulent, or malicious purpose.
  • Attempt to gain unautho­rized access to any part of the Website, Services, Data Products, or related systems, including bypassing security measures or using unautho­rized credentials.
  • Reverse engineer, decompile, disas­semble, or otherwise attempt to extract source code or under­lying algorithms of the API or any software provided by GloH2O.
  • Engage in any activity that disrupts, inter­feres with, or imposes an unrea­sonable load on the Website, API, or related infra­structure, including automated scraping, denial-of-service attacks, or excessive API requests beyond defined limits.
  • Distribute, sell, or subli­cense Data Products or API keys without prior written consent from GloH2O.
  • Remove, alter, or obscure any copyright, trademark, or other propri­etary notices included in the Data Products or Content provided by GloH2O.
  • Misrep­resent or falsify your identity, account infor­mation, or the purpose for which you are using the Data Products or Services.
  • Use the Website, Services, or API to upload, transmit, or distribute any content that is defam­atory, infringing, offensive, or otherwise violates the rights of others.
  • Reproduce, modify, or redis­tribute any part of the Website or Services for commercial purposes without explicit authorization.

8. Privacy Policy

Your use of the GloH2O Website and Services is subject to our Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal infor­mation. By using the Website or Services, you acknowledge and agree to the terms outlined in our Privacy Policy.

If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy, you can contact us at support@gloh2o.org.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, GloH2O and its officers, employees, agents, partners, and licensors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, conse­quential, special, or exemplary damages arising from or related to:

  • Your use of or inability to use the Website, Services, Data Products, or API.
  • Errors, inaccu­racies, or omissions in the data or Content provided by GloH2O.
  • Unautho­rized access to or alter­ation of your trans­mis­sions or data.
  • Any bugs, viruses, trojans, or similar issues trans­mitted to or through the Website or API by a third party.
  • Any other matter related to the use of the Website, Services, Data Products, or API.

This limitation applies even if GloH2O has been advised of the possi­bility of such damages. Some juris­dic­tions may not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for certain types of damages. In such cases, GloH2O’s liability will be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

9.1 Disclaimer of Warranties

The Website, Services, Data Products, and API are provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. GloH2O does not guarantee that:

  • The Website, Services, Data Products, or API will be uninter­rupted, secure, or error-free.
  • The data provided will be accurate, complete, or up-to-date.
  • Any issues or errors will be corrected.

By using the Website and Services, you acknowledge and agree that your use of the data, Content, or API is at your sole risk.

For any questions about this section or limita­tions on liability, please contact us at support@gloh2o.org.

10. Indemnification

By using the GloH2O Website, Services, Data Products, or API, you agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless GloH2O, its officers, directors, employees, agents, partners, and licensors from and against any claims, demands, liabil­ities, damages, losses, costs, or expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out of or related to:

  • Your use of or access to the Website, Services, Data Products, or API.
  • Your violation of these Terms and Condi­tions or any applicable law or regulation.
  • Your infringement or alleged infringement of any intel­lectual property or other rights of a third party.
  • Any data, infor­mation, or content you provide or make available through the Website or Services.

GloH2O reserves the right to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indem­ni­fi­cation by you, in which case you agree to cooperate fully with our defense. You may not settle any claim without the prior written consent of GloH2O.

This indem­ni­fi­cation oblig­ation will survive the termi­nation or expiration of these Terms and your use of the Website or Services.

If you have any questions about this section, please contact us at support@gloh2o.org.

11. Termination

GloH2O reserves the right to suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to the Website, Services, Data Products, or API at any time, for any reason, including but not limited to:

  • Your violation of these Terms and Condi­tions or any applicable laws or regulations.
  • Misuse or abuse of the Website, Services, or API, including attempts to exceed usage limits or engage in prohibited activities.
  • Failure to provide accurate or complete infor­mation during account regis­tration or use.
  • Any activity that disrupts or inter­feres with the operation or integrity of the Website, Services, or related systems.

Upon termi­nation, your right to access or use the Website, Services, Data Products, or API will immedi­ately cease. Any licenses or rights granted to you under these Terms will also terminate.

You may also terminate your account or cease using the Services at any time. To request account deletion, please contact us at support@gloh2o.org.

Termi­nation of your account or access to the Services does not relieve you of any oblig­a­tions or liabil­ities that arose prior to the date of termi­nation, including any indem­ni­fi­cation or payment obligations.

If you have any questions about this section, please contact us at support@gloh2o.org.

12. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms and Condi­tions, and any disputes arising out of or relating to your use of the GloH2O Website, Services, Data Products, or API, shall be governed by and construed in accor­dance with the laws of the Nether­lands, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

12.1 Jurisdiction

You agree that any legal action or proceeding arising out of or related to these Terms shall be brought exclu­sively in the courts located in the Nether­lands. By using the Website or Services, you consent to the juris­diction of these courts and waive any objec­tions to such venue.

12.2 Dispute Resolution

Before initi­ating formal legal proceedings, you agree to first attempt to resolve any dispute with GloH2O infor­mally by contacting us at support@gloh2o.org. We will attempt to resolve the dispute in good faith within 30 days of receiving your communication.

If the dispute cannot be resolved infor­mally, you agree to resolve it through binding arbitration conducted in accor­dance with the rules of the Nether­lands Arbitration Institute (NAI). The arbitration shall take place in the Nether­lands, and the proceedings will be conducted in English unless otherwise agreed by the parties.

12.3 Exceptions

Notwith­standing the above, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent juris­diction in the Nether­lands to protect its intel­lectual property rights or address other urgent legal matters.

If you have questions about this section or wish to initiate a dispute, please contact us at support@gloh2o.org.

13. Changes to Terms

GloH2O reserves the right to modify, update, or replace these Terms and Condi­tions at any time, at its sole discretion. Any changes will be effective immedi­ately upon posting the updated Terms on the Website unless otherwise specified. Your continued use of the Website, Services, Data Products, or API after the changes are posted consti­tutes your accep­tance of the updated Terms.

13.1 Notification of Changes

While we may, at our discretion, notify users of signif­icant changes to these Terms via email or other means, it is your respon­si­bility to review these Terms period­i­cally to stay informed of any updates.

13.2 User Options

If you do not agree with the updated Terms, you must stop using the Website, Services, Data Products, and API immedi­ately. Continued use after changes are made signifies your accep­tance of the revised Terms.

If you have questions about any changes to these Terms, please contact us at support@gloh2o.org.

14. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback about these Terms and Condi­tions, or if you need assis­tance with the GloH2O Website, Services, Data Products, or API, you can reach us through the following methods:

We strive to respond to all inquiries promptly and provide the necessary support or clari­fi­cation regarding your use of our platform.

15. Miscellaneous

These Terms and Condi­tions constitute the entire agreement between you and GloH2O concerning your use of the Website, Services, Data Products, and API and supersede any prior agree­ments or under­standings, whether written or oral, relating to such use.

15.1 No Waiver

The failure of GloH2O to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. Any waiver or failure to enforce a provision in one instance does not constitute a waiver of any other provision or instance.

15.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent juris­diction, the remaining provi­sions shall remain in full force and effect.

15.3 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms, by operation of law or otherwise, without prior written consent from GloH2O. Any attempt to do so without such consent will be null and of no effect. GloH2O may freely assign or transfer these Terms without restriction.

15.4 Force Majeure

GloH2O shall not be held respon­sible for any failure or delay in perfor­mance caused by circum­stances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, government actions, strikes, or disrup­tions in internet or commu­ni­cation services.

For further clari­fi­cation on any of these provi­sions, please contact us at support@gloh2o.org.

These Terms and Condi­tions were last updated on November 16, 2024.