By Janelcy Alferes, Chair of the IWA Specialist Group on Instrumentation, Control and Automation (ICA).
As we approach International Women’s Day 2025, it is essential to recognise the role of women in shaping the future of the water sector—including in the digital transformation that is redefining how we manage this vital resource. Can digital solutions and artificial intelligence (AI) truly drive efficiency, resilience, and sustainability in water management? This question has fueled Janelcy Alferes’ passion and career, leading her to explore how smart technologies can address the sector’s pressing challenges. Here, she shares her path—from her early inspiration to her current research at VITO—highlighting the critical need for women-led innovation, collaboration, and leadership in harnessing digital tools for a more sustainable water future.
Digital solutions. A real option for the water sector?
We cannot deny that digital solutions and artificial intelligence (AI) are revolutionising the way we live, work and interact with the whole society. In this transformation era, what is in there for the water sector? Can we really benefit from these technological advances and make our water systems smarter, efficient and more robust at the same time? This question has inspired me every day in my career in the last years.
My background and inspiration
I was lucky to grow up in a country rich in natural resources, from minerals and petroleum to fertile lands and fresh water, including the largest watershed in the world, the Amazon River, carrying about 20% of the planet’s freshwater to sea! Paradoxically, as happens in many of our developing countries, inappropriate use of those resources within human, agricultural, and industrial activities is an increasing threat to life and society at different levels. I thought then: I will contribute to helping industries be more efficient and to better use the available resources. Thus, I embarked on a professional career exploring the concepts of ‘smart’ ‘digital systems’ and ‘decision making support’.
I soon realised that I wanted to be even closer to the one essential element for life: clean water and started a PhD and research activities in the wastewater sector, diving in a totally new, complex but passionate domain. It has been more than 15 years since then, always guided by the question: how can we improve our water systems using traditional and innovative technology?
Role of digital solutions driving the future
In the last 10 years we have experienced an enormous explosion of digital tools, encompassing sensors providing real-time information, advanced automation systems, information and communication systems, computer vision and of course AI. But the reality is that the water sector didn’t evolve at the same pace, while our water challenges have grown exponentially. We wonder, what are the reasons for this phenomenon? Many factors have influenced this slow ‘technological penetration’ in the water sector, encountering the same common barriers.
Figure 1. Barriers for successful implementation of digital solutions in the water sector
It is clear that we need a transformation at all levels of the water management cycle, taking advantage of technological advancements. Digital solutions and AI are gradually showing their capability to improve water resources management, especially with their ability to process large amounts of information and to learn on the go! Among others, optimisation of water resources and improvement of water processes’ performance are two promising applications, complementing traditional technologies.
However, a successful history, in the middle and long term, will only be possible if several elements are part of the puzzle: technical, human, social, ethical, economical aspects… looking also to the broader picture in the water ecosystem. So yes! Digital solutions and AI can act as key enablers towards efficient, resilient and sustainable water systems… but we cannot take it for granted!
Figure 2. Path towards a successful history
My role today
And this is where I find myself today. Currently working as a researcher at VITO (Flemish Research Center with focus on Sustainability), leading projects on digital water, I have the chance to work closely with a large network of stakeholders (industries, utilities, authorities, universities and communities), to bridge the gap between needs, barriers and applied digital solutions in practice. It is my hope and my goal to keep promoting synergies and interchange of know-how between experts as forces for innovation, accelerating the transition to sustainable water systems.
