Urban Water utilities in low- and middle-income countries face systemic challenges, including data scarcity, institutional fragmentation, and aging infrastructure, that constrain the applicability of conventional benchmarking tools reliant on peer comparisons. This study introduces and validates the Index of Sustainability of Water Supply Systems (ISA), an autonomous diagnostic framework that evaluates sustainability without external references. The ISA integrates 49 indicators across economic, social, and environmental dimensions, transforming raw utility data into standardized quality scores through non-linear conversion functions and weighted aggregation. When applied to 14 urban water systems in southern Ecuador, the ISA revealed severe sustainability deficits: all scored between 25 and 43 on a 0–100 scale, with 71% classified as poor and 29% as deficient. Key weaknesses included inadequate cost recovery, network renewal below 0.2%/year, lack of wastewater treatment, limited watershed protection, intermittent supply under 12 h/day, and persistent water quality issues. A critical failure was an Infrastructure Leakage Index > 38 in 7 of 14 systems. The ISA’s autonomous design enabled identification of systemic vulnerabilities, including governance gaps and environmental deficits. These results confirm the ISA’s practical utility as an equitable, actionable diagnostic tool for utilities and regulators to prioritize interventions and advance SDG 6 in data-constrained settings.

Access to freshwater in developing regions remains a significant concern, particularly in arid and semiarid areas with limited annual precipitation. Groundwater, a vital resource in these regions, faces dual threats—climate change and unsustainable exploitation. This study analyzes changes in land use, vegetation cover, and hydrogeological parameters in Catacocha parish, situated in the southern Ecuadorian Andes region. The methodology incorporates the integration of data from the Paltas Municipality, Ministerio del Ambiente, Agua y Transición Ecológica—MAATE—and Instituto Geográfico Militar—IGM. Utilizing GIS tools, vegetation analysis is combined with a comparative assessment of discharge data spanning from 2000 to 2022. The data from the MAATE and IGM play an instrumental role in evaluating alterations in vegetation cover across the years. The study also examines the characteristic curves of the wells and their coefficient of storage. Additionally, it assesses the role of vegetation in facilitating infiltration and explores the potential relationship with precipitation patterns in the study area. In semiarid regions, prioritizing the management of natural vegetation is essential, either through conservation projects or reforestation plans throughout the year. Moreover, population emigration has revitalized land use, reserving specific areas for conservation. The transformation observed in the wells supplying the parish of Catacocha and its vegetation cover from 2000 to 2022 serves as a demonstration of this change. Discharge data remain essential for monitoring variations in well discharge and ensuring a consistent daily supply of potable water.

This study introduces an integrated urban flood mitigation framework specifically tailored for Andean valley cities with complex river systems and steep topography, addressing a critical gap in hydrodynamic modeling for such challenging urban watersheds. Through a case study in Loja, Ecuador, high-resolution topographic surveys, distributed hydrological modeling (HEC-HMS), and two-dimensional hydraulic simulations (HEC-RAS) are employed to evaluate stormwater behavior across micro-watersheds for return periods of 10, 25, 50, and 100 years. The methodology informs the design of stormwater detention tanks, floodable parks, and parallel conduits to the existing U-shaped channel, forming a context-specific hybrid green-gray infrastructure strategy calibrated for extreme topographic gradients and constrained urban development patterns. Simulation results demonstrated the effectiveness of these interventions in preventing flooding under a 50-year return period and reducing flood-prone areas by 70% during a 100-year event. Importantly, this research introduces a transferable design framework for mountainous urban environments where conventional flood control is constrained by topography and land-use patterns. By integrating hydrodynamic modeling with scalable, low-footprint interventions, the approach offers practical solutions for climate-resilient urban planning in high-relief regions. This work contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 11.5, 11.B, and 13.1.1) by reducing flood-prone areas by 70% and protecting approximately 15,000 citizens. It further supports SDG 13 (Climate Action) through a 25.10% reduction in peak flow discharges, as demonstrated by hydrodynamic simulations. Limitations include assumptions inherent to static models and the absence of real-time hydrometeorological data. Future studies should incorporate sensor-based monitoring, refined climate projections, and economic assessments to enhance predictive capacity and long-term resilience planning.

This study addresses the financial sustainability challenge of integrated watershed management (IWM) in regions with inadequate water service tariffs. A novel water service tariff model is proposed, incorporating supply costs, water loss reduction investments, and IWM expenses informed by user perceptions. The model is applied to an intermediate Andean city in southern Ecuador, where the current tariff impedes the financial viability of the water utility, reflecting a regional trend. The results indicate a necessary tariff increase exceeding 100% to cover the costs and support IWM. The economic value of watershed environmental services (WES) were estimated at USD 1,505,530.64 per year. This value translates to an average water consumption of 20 m³/user/month, equivalent to a WES of USD 2.60 per month. Despite the users’ willingness to pay falling below the estimated economic value of WES, there is a clear need for implementing incentive programs to promote water conservation and policy adjustments that favor the financial sustainability of water supply companies in developing countries.

For humankind to survive, access to sufficient and safe drinking water is fundamental. This study explores the connection between rising domestic water consumption and planetary phenomena, such as rapid population growth, climate change, and pandemics. To achieve the study’s objectives, it provides a thorough forecast of water use, considering probable global scenarios for the years 2030 and 2050. The modeling approach is adapted from a consistent case study taken from the body of scientific literature on water supply hydraulics. The study’s results highlight the necessity for proactive and flexible management strategies for water resources. Notably, it observes significant alterations in water supply management to adjust water allocation due to the unanticipated and ongoing increase in consumer demand. The forecasted scenarios indicate potential difficulties that may arise in meeting rising domestic water demand amid planetary phenomena. The presented results offer valuable insights to policymakers and water supply authorities, enabling them to effectively address the rising domestic water demand while considering potential adverse conditions, ensuring a sustainable water supply for future generations.