Making Urban Water Management Tangible for the Public by Means of Digital Solutions

Abstract

Digital solutions are increasingly deployed in water management to support decision-making and to realize the automatization of processes. These solutions have a high potential to foster the sustainability of water management and related fields and thus to contribute to achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the same time, more and more digital solutions aim to increase public awareness of specific urban water management aspects. To date, however, evidence is limited on the relevance and effectiveness of such digital solutions and on the effect of the governance settings on the potential of such solutions to raise awareness about the underlying water management issues. This paper aims to provide insights into the findings of two case studies, in Paris and Berlin, investigating the potential of digital solutions to make urban water management visible to the public and thus increase awareness about specific water management issues.

Education and Digital Societies for a Sustainable World

“…In the article "Making Urban Water Management Tangible for the Public by Means of Digital Solutions", Stein et al [12] explore the growing use of digital tools in water management, focusing on two case studies in Paris and Berlin. These solutions are seen as a promising way to improve decision making, automate processes, and ultimately achieve the United Nations SDGs related to water resources.…”

Digitalisation of the European Water Sector to Foster the Green and Digital Transitions

“…Benefits also entail an improved monitoring of water quality and quantity, which can help improve regulations [33]. Furthermore, the three examples from the water sector considered here are not the only ones to benefit from digitalisation.…”

“…According to Stein et al (2022) [6], these non-economic benefits include, for example, generating data and insights that can inform the design of more effective interventions in the form of policies and measures, and improve the transparency and efficiency of decision making in the context of integrated water resource management. Benefits also entail an improved monitoring of water quality and quantity, which can help improve regulations [33]. The results are clearly affected by future trends of, e.g., prices, water and energy markets, and climate change.…”

A Digital Twin Dam and Watershed Management Platform

“…Hasan and Abed [28] examined the characteristics and design of a Web GIS Platform for monitoring water resources, enabling information dissemination, exchange, and management through the Internet. Stein et al [29] provided valuable insights from case studies conducted in Paris and Berlin, exploring the potential of digital solutions to enhance public awareness of urban water management issues.…”