Building an African water observatory from open data and AI

Pita Costa, João (author), Zaouini, Mustafa (author), Črnko, Mihajela (author), Polzer, Mirozlav (author), Corzo Perez, Gerald A. (author), Mikoš, Matjaž (author), Orlič, Davor (author), Jermol, Mitja (author)

Effective decision-making in water resource management is crucial for addressing the sustainability challenges exacerbated by climate change. This paper introduces an AI-driven observatory that integrates diverse data sources, including news outlets, social media, academic research, and statistical analyses, to enhance the decision-making capabilities of water resource managers and policymakers in North Africa. The observatory leverages advanced data visualization tools to provide in-depth analyses of water-related events such as floods, droughts, and contamination incidents. By drawing on real-time data from a variety of platforms, the system not only informs resource management and policy development but also plays a vital role in educating the public and preparing the youth for AI challenges. The focus of this paper is particularly on the Maghreb region, where the increasing frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change underscores the need for innovative approaches to water sustainability. We discuss the specific application of this observatory in promoting water reuse practices in the region, highlighting its potential to mitigate the impacts of such climatic extremes.

• Language: English
• Keywords: open data, artificial intelligence, extreme events, water sustainability
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.09 - Published Professional Conference Contribution
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 1 spletni vir (6 str.)
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-181115
• UDC: 004.8:556(6)
• ISSN on article: Y509-8335
• DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14900574
• COBISS.SI-ID: 272980483
• Publication date in RUL: 25.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Zenodo
• Publisher: CERN
• COBISS.SI-ID: 42074883

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: odprti podatki, umetna inteligenca, ekstremni dogodki, trajnostnost voda

Projects

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Project number: 820985
• Name: A holistic water ecosystem for digitisation of urban water sector
• Acronym: NAIADES

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Project number: 101120237
• Name: European Lighthouse of AI for Sustainability
• Acronym: ELIAS