Delivering climate resilient water sector: A smart cities perspective

The significance of water and wastewater sector is overshadowed within smart cities and climate resilience discussions. Therefore, this research aims to explore the importance of smart cities in the UK with a focus on urban water management. A quantitative research approach was adopted to analyze data collected from 58 responses from local authority officials and water sector professionals. It is concluded that smart water technology implementation is especially important in existing cities which have aging infrastructure. This paper provides insight into how smart water management in UK cities recognizes the necessary action required to deliver climate resilient urban environment. • Rapid urbanisation is straining cities, which struggle to manage growing populations in already densely populated areas. • Smart cities must adopt new approaches to address rising urbanisation in overcrowded environments. • There is limited evidence from success or failure case studies on smart water technology implementation. • Smart water technology can boost efficiency, cut emissions, and extend asset lifecycles, supporting sustainability and resilience.