Managerial-friendly software for sustainable river water-sharing among co-basin stakeholders utilizing an analytical framework model

Sharing river water among co-basin states poses a significant challenge for river basin management, necessitating consideration of numerous interconnected variables for equitable distribution. Practitioners prefer easily implementable methods over complex mathematical models. To address this, the authors have developed RIWASH, a user-friendly software for river water sharing that translates a tested analytical framework into usable software, along with validation against real-world case scenarios. This study presents the executable version of RIWASH, addressing the decision-makers’ preference for practical utility over academic intricacies. RIWASH allows users to input data for co-basin states through six interactive input windows, generating water allocation results in an output window. It enables users to modify input data or variables to observe the impact on water allocation outcomes. Validated in India's Cauvery and Vamsadhara River basins, RIWASH provides objective allocations that adapt to changing hydrological conditions, offering a sustainable solution for co-basin stakeholders.