ICTs for Water Security: Emerging Trends and Applications in Watershed Management

Background: Water security is a growing global challenge that requires effective and sustainable watershed management. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) provide innovative tools to support this process, but their applications still demand systematic assessment. This study reviews and synthesizes the literature on ICT-based solutions for water resource management, emphasizing their potential to enhance water security and promote sustainable practices. Methods: A combined bibliometric and qualitative analysis was performed on scientific articles published between 2020 and 2024, retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The bibliometric analysis identified key trends and emerging themes, while qualitative analysis examined specific ICT applications. Results: Findings reveal a prominent focus on remote sensing integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) for water quality monitoring, enabling early detection of potential problems and enhanced data analysis. IoT and Big Data are also highlighted as promising tools for real-time monitoring and decision support. However, the analysis identified persistent limitations in practical implementation of these technologies across diverse geographical contexts. Conclusions: The integration of ICTs into water resource management holds significant potential for advancing water-related Sustainable Development Goals. Future research should expand application to underrepresented regions, explore emerging technologies, and address challenges of data integration and validation to ensure reliability and scalability.