The Hydraulic Instrumentation Section (HIS) of the International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research (IAHR) initiates an ambitious project for the benefit of the world-wide hydraulic engineering community and instrument manufacturers: The Instrumentation Database. The central idea of this initiative is to create an internet-based information island disseminated worldwide to hydraulic engineers interested in measurements and experimentation and to the companion instrument manufacturers. The instrumentation database assembles and classifies information on commercially available instruments using uniform engineering criteria enabling users to quickly select the most appropriate instruments for a specific application. The assembled database information is equally useful for manufacturers, by providing a centralized resource where capabilities of current hydraulic instrumentation can be continuously monitored and updated. The database could potentially guide future research and development efforts toward fulfillment of missing instrument ranges and/or capabilities. This website provide full online administration capabilities. It provides a user-friendly tool for its members, allowing hydraulic instrumentation users to access a unique, comprehensive source on available instruments. Manufacturers can add/update instrument characteristics and their personal and company info (including a link to the company website). Anybody around the world is welcome to become a member. Access and interaction with the site is fast, painless, and free. Database maintenance will be a joint user-manufacturer effort. It is expected that, following database establishment, both users and manufacturers will actively update and enhance the database. Marian Muste Chairman IAHR Hydraulic Instrumentation Section