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

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.

Automated summary

Digital solutions play an increasingly important role in water management, supporting decision-making and process automation. They have the potential to promote sustainability and contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. However, there is limited evidence on the relevance and effectiveness of such solutions in raising public awareness about water management issues and the impact of governance settings. This paper presents insights from case studies in Paris and Berlin, exploring the potential of digital solutions to make urban water management visible to the public and increase awareness about specific issues.