The Future of Climate-Smart Water Management: A Systematic Review of the Convergence of Artificial Intelligence, Nature-Based Solutions, and Adaptive Governance in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Climate change is intensifying water insecurity across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), threatening agricultural productivity, ecosystem integrity, and sustainable livelihoods. Climate-smart water management (CSWM) has consequently emerged as an important approach for strengthening water security and climate resilience. This scoping review maps the existing evidence on the convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), and adaptive governance in supporting climate-smart water management across SSA. Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), a systematic search of peer-reviewed and grey literature published between 2000 and 2026 identified 1265 records, of which 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. The review found that the evidence base remains limited and fragmented but reflects growing scholarly interest in integrating technological, ecological, and governance approaches to climate adaptation. The included studies reported AI applications primarily in remote sensing, predictive analytics, climate forecasting, decision support systems, and irrigation management, while NbS focused on watershed restoration, agroforestry, wetland conservation, rainwater harvesting, and ecosystem-based adaptation. Adaptive governance emerged as a cross-cutting theme emphasizing stakeholder participation, knowledge co-production, institutional coordination, and adaptive learning. Several studies highlighted the potential complementarities among AI, NbS, and governance, although few empirically examined their integrated implementation. Recurring implementation challenges included digital infrastructure disparities, limited technical and institutional capacity, financing constraints, fragmented governance arrangements, and unequal access to AI technologies. The review also identified substantial geographical and empirical evidence gaps, particularly regarding implementation effectiveness, scalability, equity, and long-term outcomes. Collectively, the findings highlight the need for interdisciplinary, context-specific, and implementation-oriented research to support equitable and climate-resilient water management policies and practices across Sub-Saharan Africa.