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Advancing Data Driven Urban Water Management: Launch of GIS based Decision Support Tool
UNESCO in collaboration with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), officially launched a GIS-based urban water database and decision-support tool for Gwalior, marking the culmination of a two-year initiative under the Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) initiative. This milestone represents a significant advancement in data-driven urban water planning in India.
Indian cities today face mounting water challenges due to rapid urbanization, aging infrastructure, unplanned development, and climate change. IUWM offers a comprehensive solution by aligning water supply, sanitation, stormwater, and wastewater systems with urban development goals. However, the absence of centralized, reliable water-related data has long hindered effective implementation.
To address this gap, UNESCO and NIUA developed a GIS-based water management platform tailored for city authorities. Gwalior was selected as the pilot city, and over the past two years, the platform was shaped through expert consultations, stakeholder workshops, and detailed validation with local officials. The result is a robust, web-based tool that allows for decision-making on issues like flood management, urban drainage, drought resilience, and groundwater recharge.
The user-friendly dashboard integrates data from multiple municipal departments, breaking silos and enabling more cohesive and climate-resilient urban water governance.
The launch of this GIS-based tool for Gwalior marks a pivotal step in advancing integrated urban water management in India. At UNESCO, we believe that empowering cities with reliable, actionable data is key to building resilience against climate challenges and ensuring sustainable, inclusive urban growth.
To address the complex water challenges in Indian cities, we must adopt an integrated and multi-dimensional approach to urban water management, encompassing sustainable infrastructure, equitable access, and resilient strategies tailored to local needs.
A live demonstration of the dashboard, led by experts from UNESCO (Dr. Neha Midha, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia), and NIUA (Mr. Anirudh Soni and Ms. Shilpi Chakraborty) showcased its capabilities.
This project is part of UNESCO’s collaboration with the Republic of Korea under the “Sustainable Water Security for Human Settlements” initiative, supporting cities across Asia and Africa.
With Gwalior leading the way, this tool paves the path for smarter, sustainable water management in Indian cities.
