Towards reduced policy implementation barriers applicable to smart water resources management : a qualitative analysis

Smart solutions are an essential element to strive with the upcoming water scarcity and extreme rainfall events. Scientific literature demonstrates that the technologies to enhance water management are developed already, but cities are facing challenges during the implementation process of Smart Water Resource Management (SWRM) tools. These challenges include increased managemental complexity, risk-aversion and weak cooperation of the involved stakeholders, lack of supporting regulatory frameworks, financial resources, and efficient market conditions, and ethical challenges including data privacy and cyber-security concerns. Barcelona is a pioneer in sustainable and smart development in water management and shows high ambitions to deal with these challenges. This research is expected to support local governments and companies to implement SWRM tools sustainably and thereby contribute to SDG 6 and 11. To answer the research question, a qualitative research design was conducted on this case study. The qualitative data to answer the research question were collected via semi-structured interviews with nine experts working in the water sector in Barcelona (including technical experts, managers, scientists, and NGOs). The findings of the research specifically highlight the significance of the motivation of the involved stakeholders and citizen involvement as the main promoter for the implementation.