Optimal Water Management Strategies: Paving the Way for Sustainability in Smart Cities

Abstract

Global urbanization and increasing water demand make efficient water resource management crucial. This study employs Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) to evaluate smart city water management strategies. We use representative criteria, employ objective judgment, assign weights through the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and score strategies based on meeting these criteria. We find that the “Effectiveness and Risk Management” criterion carries the highest weight (15.28%), underscoring its pivotal role in strategy evaluation and robustness. Medium-weight criteria include “Resource Efficiency, Equity, and Social Considerations” (10.44%), “Integration with Existing Systems, Technological Feasibility, and Ease of Implementation” (10.10%), and “Environmental Impact” (9.84%) for ecological mitigation. “Community Engagement and Public Acceptance” (9.79%) recognizes involvement, while “Scalability and Adaptability” (9.35%) addresses changing conditions. “Return on Investment” (9.07%) and “Regulatory and Policy Alignment” (8.8%) balance financial and governance concerns. Two low-weight criteria, “Data Reliability” (8.78%) and “Long-Term Sustainability” (8.55%), stress data accuracy and sustainability. Highly weighted strategies like “Smart Metering and Monitoring, Demand Management, Behavior Change” and “Smart Irrigation Systems” are particularly effective in improving water management in smart cities. However, medium-weighted (e.g., “Educational Campaigns and Public Awareness”, “Policy and Regulation”, “Rainwater Harvesting”, “Offshore Floating Photovoltaic Systems”, “Collaboration and Partnerships”, “Graywater Recycling and Reuse”, and “Distributed Water Infrastructure”) and low-weighted (e.g., “Water Desalination”) strategies also contribute and can be combined with higher-ranked ones to create customized water management approaches for each smart city’s unique context. This research is significant because it addresses urban water resource management complexity, offers a multi-criteria approach to enhance traditional single-focused methods, evaluates water strategies in smart cities comprehensively, and provides a criteria-weight-based resource allocation framework for sustainable decisions, boosting smart city resilience. Note that results may vary based on specific smart city needs and constraints. Future studies could explore factors like climate change on water management in smart cities and consider alternative MCDM methods like TOPSIS or ELECTRE for strategy evaluation.

Exploring Theoretical Constructs of Urban Resilience Through Smart Water Grids: Case Studies in African and U.S. Cities

“…These advanced systems integrate various components, from physical infrastructure to digital technologies, to create a dynamic, responsive water management network. By doing so, smart water grids play a crucial role in equipping cities to address contemporary water challenges, including scarcity, pollution, and the impacts of climate change (Bouramdane, 2023;Di Nardo et al, 2021). Smart Water Grids are comprehensive water management systems that utilize digital technologies to monitor, control, and optimize the urban water cycle.…”

“…This capacity for learning and adaptation aligns with resilience theory, which prioritizes the ability of urban systems to evolve in response to changing conditions and to transform in ways that enhance sustainability and resilience. Deploying smart water technologies often involves shifting towards more decentralized and participatory forms of water management (Bouramdane, 2023;Eggimann et al, 2017). This shift reflects broader resilience principles that advocate empowering local communities and stakeholders, diversifying management approaches, and enhancing local capacity to deal with water-related challenges.…”

Water, Resources, and Resilience: Insights from Diverse Environmental Studies

“…Our motivation for compiling this scientific work arises from the urgent need to address water-related concerns that impact global sustainability [20][21][22]. The growing water crisis, exacerbated by factors such as climate change, population growth, and pollution, has compelled us to gather insights from various environmental studies [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]. We aim to disseminate knowledge that can drive positive change and foster innovative solutions for the responsible and sustainable management of our water resources [34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42].…”