Water Security: A Systematic Review of Definitions, Indicators, and Artificial Intelligence Applications

Water security is crucial for human well-being and environmental sustainability. The rapid increase in urbanization, climate change, pollution, etc., leads to water scarcity in many parts of the world. Therefore, it is important to understand the concept and growing challenges of water security. Using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework, 146 articles were identified for this study. The results highlight a novel aspect of the definition of water security, presenting it in a simpler, broader way with key components. The indicators for assessing water security are categorized into quantitative, qualitative, and combined types, and are further arranged across different dimensions, domains, and spatial scales. The study also examines Urban Water Security assessment methods and categorizes them into distinct methodological groups. Additionally, the studies show that only 25 articles explore artificial intelligence in the context of water security indicators. This reveals the need to address the gap between artificial intelligence and the assessment of water security. From these limited articles, artificial intelligence types and models were identified, and their applications were grouped into thematic categories. In general, this study supports improved assessment, decision-making, and sustainable water security management.