Blockchain and environmental sustainability

The aim of this chapter is to explore how blockchain technology can strengthen the governance of key public resources, with water as the specific resource, and using IBM’s blockchain water management pilot programs as the central example. The chapter examines how transparency, automation, and data integrity can reduce information asymmetry and support sustainable allocation of water. The chapter also reviews subsequent innovations, including sensor-linked blockchain trading platforms and hybrid data architectures, to argue for blockchain’s role in equitable and accountable resource governance.