Science, Technology and Information
Advances in science have played a critical role in technological development and innovation within the water sector. This has led to the development of innovative tools and approaches to measure and monitor parameters of the hydrosphere such as the earth observation and space technology through the deployment of satellites and remote sensing; advanced sensor technology to monitor hydrological systems; the rise of citizen science supported by low-cost technologies; and the application of ‘big data’ analytics.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been proposed to help address challenges across water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems, water use in agriculture and industry, and water resources management. The overall impacts of AI remain largely unknown. Potential risks include system-wide compromise owing to design errors, malfunction and cyber-attacks, which could in turn lead to critical infrastructure failure in a worst-case scenario. Information technology companies are becoming increasingly water-intensive due to the liquid cooling systems of the computers that run AI programmes and additional electricity required to power the equipment.