Global Journal of Human Social Science, H: Interdisciplinary, Volume 23 Issue 5

© 2023 Global Journals Volume XXIII Issue V Version I Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2023 ( ) H 11 Unlocking the Potential of Smart Watersheds: Leveraging Iot and Big Data for Sustainable Water Resource Management and Indicator Calculation Abstract- The present work aims to show how the Water Quality Indicators (IQA), defined in the Brazilian legislation, can be obtained using Information and Communication Technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data, and organizing them in decision support systems. This allows a decision based on up-to-date data and evidence, turning the water management smarter. Methodologically, based on bibliographic and documentary data, it describes and evaluates the use of IoT and Big Data in calculating indicators applied to water resource management. The study also shows, in a practical way, how a network of sensors obtains the necessary data for the calculation of the Water Quality Indicator and how they were calculated using Big Data applications. With this, the results demonstrate how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be used to calculate different indicators in the management of water resources and, with the conceptual elements exposed here, provide greater familiarity with the theme of intelligent watersheds to fill a literature gap. Keywords: water resources management, internet of things, big data, smart watersheds, indicators. I. I ntroduction ecent advances in solutions and the increasing availability of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) allow, with precision and very high speed, it is possible to collect, transmit and process large volumes of data. Given this, paradigms can be established for the sustainable management of water resources that were previously unimaginable or difficult and complex to implement. However, as Bartos, Wong, and Kerkez (2018) observe, although we have some admittedly smart infrastructure applications, such as autonomous vehicles, energy grid management, and structural health monitoring of buildings and constructions, the integration of these technologies to operate with water is still incipient. Watersheds refer to the territorial unit, the area of land drained by a river and its tributaries. On the highest part of the terrain, considered as the upper geographical limit of the watershed, are the slopes, or topographical dividers that guide the flow and influence the volume of water and transported sediments; delimited below is the watershed outlet, confluence with a main river or outflow (TOMAZ, 2006). It should be noted that all urban, industrial, agricultural, or preservation areas are part of some watershed. Everything there is "a consequence of the forms of occupation of the territory and the use of the waters that converge there" (PORTO & PORTO, 2008, p. 45). As water is one of the essential resources for human survival, it is in the context of watersheds that phenomena such as water scarcity, floods, or the degradation of springs can be perceived and evaluated. Xue and Shao (2019) emphasize that watersheds with limited flow capacity, short confluence time, and high ecosystem vulnerability are more vulnerable to natural disasters. However, in geographic areas where the global water crisis is accelerated by scarcity, difficult access, and use, prolonged drought, or inefficient management, nature can help through intelligent techniques that create or increase resilience in the watersheds. Among the natural resources and common goods threatened by the effects of human activities, water is the main consumption item, surrounded by uncertainties about its sustainability. The fundamental issue is not linked to treatment's availability or technological capacity but to the complexity, effectiveness, and applicability of water resources management and governance tools (CHAFFIN et al., 2016). The systems and processes that need to be monitored require increasingly sensitive and accurate instruments that can capture the full lifecycle of water and associated climatic and environmental factors. The effectiveness of the water balance, therefore, includes observing generation through natural hydrological cycles, its retention, and storage; capture, treatment, distribution, and consumption by the various actors, R Author α σ Ѡ : Graduate Program in Sustainability at the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3756-7097 , ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2200-5094 , ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1889-0462 Author ρ : Graduate Program in Sustainability at the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas. e-mail: duarcidesmariosa@puc-campinas.edu.br , ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6552-9288. Author ¥ : Portuguese Institute of International Relations - New University of Lisbon (IPRI-Nova) and Autonomous University of Lisbon (UAL). ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1683-5593. Author § : Graduate Program in Regional Planning and Development and Graduate Program in Regional Management and Development, UNITAU. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8043-1270 Author χ : Graduate Program in Smart and Sustainable Cities, UNINOVE. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9486-9174 Silva, Maria Luiza Ramos da α , Falsarella, Orandi Mina σ , Mariosa, Duarcides Ferreira ρ , Conti, Diego de Melo Ѡ , Brito, Brígida ¥ , Moraes, Marcela Barbosa § & Quaresma, Cristiano Capellani χ