Community-Centric Digital Twins for Equitable Water Infrastructure Governance in Low-Resource Settings

Digital twin technology has gained traction as an innovative urban governance and water resource management approach, promising real-time monitoring, simulation, and data-driven decision-making across complex infrastructure systems. However, in low-resource settings, the deployment of digital twins for water infrastructure governance poses critical challenges: limited technical capacity, insufficient stakeholder inclusion, data governance concerns, and a pressing need to address inequities in water service provision. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of how community-centric digital twins can be leveraged to create more equitable water governance structures in low-resource environments. Our objectives are to (1) explore the literature on digital twins and stakeholder engagement in water management; (2) develop a conceptual framework for a community-centric, participatory digital twin that addresses the pressing social, institutional, and technological challenges in low-resource settings; (3) propose methodologies for ensuring robust stakeholder collaboration, transparent data governance, and capacity-building strategies; and (4) discuss evidence-based policies and practical lessons for ensuring equitable and resilient water infrastructure governance. Ultimately, by integrating community participation and social equity principles into advanced digital twin frameworks, water utilities and local authorities can improve resource allocation, enhance water service reliability, and bolster resilience against climate and public health disruptions, moving closer to sustainable and just water governance.