Moghaddam et al. (2025) Technological innovations in water conservation: navigating drought and water scarcity

Identification

• Journal: Elsevier eBooks
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-29
• Authors: Davoud Davoudi Moghaddam, Ferdos Hamizadeh, Farzaneh Sajedi Hosseini
• DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-443-26722-2.00001-5

Research Groups

• Faculty of Applied Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Canada
• Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Iran
• Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Iran

Short Summary

This chapter synthesizes traditional and technological approaches to water conservation, addressing the escalating global challenges of drought and water scarcity by highlighting innovative tools and strategies for sustainable water management.

Objective

• To explore traditional approaches to water resource management and discuss how technological innovations are addressing water scarcity, highlighting cutting-edge tools and strategies to build resilience and ensure a sustainable water future.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global (discusses challenges and solutions worldwide, e.g., California, Central Asia, Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, India, China).
• Temporal Scale: Present and future projections (up to 2050 for population and water stress).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not applicable (This is a review/synthesis chapter).
• Data sources: Literature review and synthesis of existing knowledge, including reports and scientific publications.

Main Results

• Over 2.3 billion people currently live in water-stressed countries, with projections indicating more than 40% of the global population could face water shortages by 2050.
• Water scarcity is driven by an imbalance between freshwater availability and demand, manifesting as physical scarcity (insufficient natural supplies) and economic scarcity (lack of access due to financial or infrastructural barriers).
• Technological innovations such as smart irrigation, desalination, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) are transforming water management efficiency.
• Integrating modern technological advancements with traditional practices (e.g., rainwater harvesting) is crucial for building resilience against water scarcity and ensuring a sustainable water future.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive synthesis of both traditional and cutting-edge technological innovations in water conservation.
• Emphasizes the urgency and necessity of technological solutions in addressing the global water crisis.
• Highlights the dual nature of water scarcity (physical versus economic) and its widespread impacts across various sectors and regions.
• Offers a forward-looking perspective on integrating diverse strategies for sustainable water resource management.

Funding

• Not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Moghaddam2025Technological,
  author = {Moghaddam, Davoud Davoudi and Hamizadeh, Ferdos and Hosseini, Farzaneh Sajedi},
  title = {Technological innovations in water conservation: navigating drought and water scarcity},
  journal = {Elsevier eBooks},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/b978-0-443-26722-2.00001-5},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-26722-2.00001-5}
}