From WebGIS to a Digital Twin for Sustainable Water Governance and Climate-Resilient River Basin District Planning: The AUBAC Case in Central Italy

Climate change is reshaping territorial safety and water-resource management, calling for digital tools that integrate heterogeneous datasets, enable advanced analyses, and enhance decision-making transparency. This article documents the three-year digital transformation (2022–2025) of the Central Apennine River Basin District Authority (AUBAC), covering > 42,000 km2 and serving 8.6 million residents in central Italy. Through an incremental methodology across three releases, AUBAC developed an integrated WebGIS consolidating 613 geospatial layers and near-real-time monitoring from 1844 IoT sensors, implementing a Level 1 (Diagnostic) Digital Twin. Measured results include 141,569 platform visits, an approximately 60% reduction in administrative burden, a 70–80% reduction in plan-processing times, over 5000 users participating in public consultations, and a 40–60% increase in perceived risk understanding. The article presents the research design, platform architecture, evaluation framework, challenges encountered, and recommendations for replicability. The platform supports climate adaptation, disaster-risk reduction, and integrated water-resource management, contributing to SDGs 6, 11, and 13. The experience demonstrates that territorial Digital Twins can deliver tangible operational gains within public administration while establishing a foundation for evolution toward predictive capabilities.