The Way Forward of Digitalization in Water Sector

For the past few decades, the globe has been facing serious challenges related to resource scarcity, and water is one of them. Therefore, several green initiatives have been implemented to manage scarcity and protect future generations. This scarcity scenario prompts sector stakeholders to pay particular attention to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and suggests a new approach. This study focuses on SDG 6 (Target 6.1), which concerns access to safe drinking water at the household level. Under this theme, this empirical research examines water supply management (WSM), digitalization (DIG), renewable energy, innovation, urbanization, and income as key factors influencing environmental degradation. To address the study objectives, the analysis employs panelquantile regression (P-QR) and the Driscoll-Kraay standard error (DK-SE) method, considering G7 economies from 2005 to 2023. The examined results reveal the positive impact of income and innovations on environmental degradation. DIG, urbanization, WSM, and renewable energy exhibit an inverse relationship, supporting the sustainability theme. The moderate effect of DIG on WSM does not necessarily improve environmental quality. In terms of outcomes, this study offers ecological implications for a clean and green future.