Smart Water Monitoring and Management: A Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research Trends

Authors

Sizwe Ximba, Durban University of Technology, South Africa

Timothy Speckman, Durban University of Technology, South Africa

Olive Stumke, Durban University of Technology, South Africa

Published in

IST-Africa 2026 Conference Proceedings

ISSN: 2576-8581

ISBN: 978-1-905824-76-2

DOI: https://doi.org/10.67725/IST-Africa.2026.CHEL9889

Publisher

IST-Africa Institute and IIMC International Information Management Corporation Ltd

Published in Ireland

Abstract

Water is a crucial yet fleeting resource for human survival, calling for increased conservation approaches such as reusing water. However, traditional management approaches frequently disregard wastewater, resulting in ineffective water conservation and inefficiency. Smart wastewater management allows for more efficient recovery and reuse of water resources through the integration of wireless sensor networks, AI-driven monitoring and real-time data analytics. The aim of this study was to investigate global research trends in smart water monitoring and management through a bibliometric analysis. To achieve this aim, the study analysed key themes, influential contributors and leading countries in the field. Bibliometric data was extracted from the Web of Science and Scopus databases and analysed using VOSviewer to identify major research themes, influential authors and collaborative networks. The findings revealed that while numerous studies focus on smart water management systems, limited research addresses smart wastewater management and conservation. This study highlights critical research gaps and will benefit researchers, practitioners working in water conservation and smart technology applications, particularly in Africa. A key lesson learned is that global research trends are heavily influenced by countries with high publication output and collaboration networks, which can limit the visibility of important regional challenges.

Keywords

Smart water management, ICT4D, water quality, water-scarcity, water conservation

Cite this paper

S. Ximba, T. Speckman and O. Stumke (2026) "Smart Water Monitoring and Management: A Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research Trends", IST-Africa 2026 Conference Proceedings, Miriam Cunningham and Paul Cunningham (Eds), IST-Africa Institute and IIMC, 2026, ISSN: 2576-8581, ISBN: 978-1-905824-76-2, https://doi.org/10.67725/IST-Africa.2026.CHEL9889

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