Water security: a Geospatial Framework for urban water resilience

Abstract Urban water issues impacting sustainable development can be analyzed, modeled, and mapped through cutting-edge geospatial technologies; however, the water sector in developing countries suffers various spatial data-related problems such as limited coverage, unreliable data, limited coordination, and sharing. Available spatial data are limited to the aggregate level (i.e., national, state, and district levels) and lack details to make informed policy decisions and allocations. Despite significant advancements in geospatial technologies, their application and integration at the policy and decision-making level are rare. The current research provides a broad GIS-centric framework for actionable science, which focuses on real context and facilitates geospatial maps and theoretical and practical knowledge to address various water issues. The study demonstrates the application of the proposed Geospatial Framework from technical and institutional perspectives in water-stressed zones in Pune city, showing where and how to solve problems and where proposed actions can most impact creating a sustainable water-secured future. The framework makes it possible for everyone to explore datasets that can provide a baseline for research, and analysis, contribute to the process, propose, and act on solutions, and take the benefits of the outcomes and policy recommendations.