ABSTRACT
Objective: The objective of this work is to gather and analyze studies that address the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, in the area of water resources management. The proposal is to understand how this technology has been applied in the monitoring of rivers, lakes and other bodies of water, in addition to identifying its benefits and challenges.
Theoretical Framework: In this topic, the models, classifications and sensors of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are presented, in addition to the advantages and disadvantages of hydrological applications with the different types of sensors used in UAVs.
Method: The methodology adopted for this review involves the application of the PRISMA method. The search terms "Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" and "Water Resources Management" were used in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Based on the studies found, the PRISMA method organizes the preparation of the systematic review into four stages: identification, selection, eligibility and inclusion.
Results and Discussion: A total of 16 articles were analyzed, with emphasis on those that contribute to water resource management, especially in obtaining high-resolution data for the application of hydrological and hydrodynamic modeling. The results indicate that UAVs offer relevant mechanisms for facing the growing challenges related to water availability and the impacts of climate change.
Research Implications: This literature review, conducted using the PRISMA method, highlights the potential of UAVs to improve water resource management by enabling more accurate and accessible data collection. The results can support technical practices, public policies, and new research on the use of drones in environmental contexts.
Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by systematizing, in an unprecedented way, the main applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in water resources management, through a rigorous methodological approach based on the PRISMA protocol. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by the identification of trends, gaps and opportunities for the use of UAVs in water monitoring and management, offering practical support for researchers, professionals in the field and public policy makers
Keywords: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Water Resources Management, PRISMA Literature Review.
RESUMO
Objetivo: O objetivo deste trabalho é reunir e analisar estudos que abordam o uso de Veículos Aéreos Náo Tripulados (VANTS), também conhecidos como drones, na area de gestão dos recursos hídricos. A proposta é compreender de que forma essa tecnologia vem sendo aplicada no monitoramento de rios, lagos e outros corpos d'agua, além de identificar seus beneficios e desafios.
Referencial Teórico: Neste tópico, são apresentados os principais modelos e classificações dos Veículos Aéreos Nao Tripulados (VANTSs), bem como os tipos de sensores utilizados nessas plataformas. Além disso, são discutidas as vantagens e limitações das aplicações hidrológicas associadas a cada tipo de sensor embarcado.
Método: A metodologia adotada para esta revisão compreende a aplicação do método PRISMA. Utilizaram-se os termos de busca "Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" e "Water Resources Management" nas bases de dados Web of Science e Scopus. A partir dos estudos encontrados, o método PRISMA organiza a elaboração da revisão sistemática em quatro etapas: identificação, seleção, elegibilidade e inclusão.
Resultados e Discussão: Um total de 16 artigos foi analisado, com destaque para aqueles que contribuem com a gestão dos recursos hídricos, especialmente na obtenção de dados de alta resolução para a aplicação de modelagens hidrológicas e hidrodinámicas. Os resultados indicam que os VANTs oferecem mecanismos relevantes para o enfrentamento dos crescentes desafios relacionados a disponibilidade de água e aos impactos das mudancas climáticas.
Implicações da Pesquisa: Esta revisão bibliográfica, conduzida com base no método PRISMA, evidencia o potencial dos VANTs para aprimorar a gestão dos recursos hídricos, viabilizando coletas de dados mais precisas e acessiveis. Os resultados podem subsidiar práticas técnicas, políticas públicas e novas pesquisas sobre o uso dos VANTs em contextos ambientais.
Originalidade/Valor: Este estudo contribui para a literatura ao sistematizar, de forma inédita, as principais aplicações dos Veículos Aéreos Nao Tripulados (VANTs) na gestão dos recursos hídricos, por meio de uma abordagem metodológica rigorosa baseada no protocolo PRISMA. A relevância e o valor desta pesquisa são evidenciados pela identificação de tendências, lacunas e oportunidades de uso dos VANTs no monitoramento e manejo dos recursos hídricos, oferecendo subsídios práticos para pesquisadores, profissionais da área e formuladores de políticas públicas.
Palavras-chave: Veículos Aéreos Não Tripulados (VANTSs), Gestão dos Recursos Hídricos, Revisão Bibliográfica PRISMA.
RESUMEN
Objetivo: El objetivo de este trabajo es reunir y analizar estudios que aborden el uso de Vehículos Aéreos No Tripulados (UAVs), también conocidos como drones, en el área de gestión de recursos hídricos. La propuesta es comprender cómo se ha aplicado esta tecnología en el monitoreo de ríos, lagos y otros cuerpos de agua, además de identificar sus beneficios y desafíos.
Marco Teórico: En este tema se presentan los modelos, clasificaciones y sensores de los Vehículos Aéreos No Tripulados (UAVs), así como las ventajas y desventajas de las aplicaciones hidrológicas con los diferentes tipos de sensores utilizados en los UAVs.
Método: La metodología adoptada para esta revisión implica la aplicación del método PRISMA. Los términos de búsqueda "Vehículos aéreos no tripulados" y "Gestión de recursos hídricos" se utilizaron en las bases de datos Web of Science y Scopus. A partir de los estudios encontrados, el método PRISMA organiza la preparación de la revisión sistemática en cuatro etapas: identificación, selección, elegibilidad e inclusión.
Resultados y Discusión: Se analizaron 16 artículos, con énfasis en aquellos que contribuyen a la gestión de los recursos hídricos, especialmente en la obtención de datos de alta resolución para la aplicación de modelación hidrológica e hidrodinámica. Los resultados indican que los UAV ofrecen mecanismos relevantes para enfrentar los crecientes desafíos relacionados con la disponibilidad de agua y los impactos del cambio climático.
Implicaciones de la investigación: Esta revisión de la literatura, realizada con base en el método PRISMA, destaca el potencial de los UAV para mejorar la gestión de los recursos hídricos, permitiendo una recopilación de datos mas precisa y accesible. Los resultados pueden apoyar practicas técnicas, politicas publicas y nuevas investigaciones sobre el uso de drones en contextos ambientales.
Originalidad/Valor: Este estudio contribuye a la literatura al sistematizar, de forma inédita, las principales aplicaciones de los vehículos aéreos no tripulados (UAVs) en la gestión de recursos hídricos, a través de un enfoque metodológico riguroso basado en el protocolo PRISMA. La relevancia y el valor de esta investigación se evidencian en la identificación de tendencias, brechas y oportunidades para el uso de UAVs en el monitoreo y gestión del agua, ofreciendo apoyo práctico a investigadores, profesionales en el campo y formuladores de políticas públicas.
Palabras clave: Vehículos aéreos no tripulados (UAV), gestión de recursos hídricos, revisión de literatura PRISMA.
1 INTRODUCTION
Water scarcity is a growing problem, which will worsen by 2050 with the increase in the world population ( Boretti and Rosa, 2019; Andrade, 2024). Water management is therefore a global challenge, requiring coordinated efforts ( Ringeltaube et al., 2002), even in developed countries ( Tsani et al., 2020).
In this scenario, new technologies, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ( UAVs ), have gained prominence in the monitoring of hydrological variables, due to their low cost, high mobility, agility in data collection and processing, in addition to high image resolution ( Acharya et al., 2021).
The incorporation of these technological solutions is becoming increasingly necessary to support the monitoring and management of water resources. Variables such as precipitation, evaporation, runoff, soil moisture and hydrological modeling require agile and accurate methods of data collection and analysis. However, traditional approaches, although consolidated, have limitations in terms of temporal and spatial coverage, in addition to high operational costs ( Acharya et al., 2021).
In view of this, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ( UAVs ) have been consolidated in recent decades as a promising alternative for providing high-resolution geospatial data , contributing significantly to the improvement of water resources management (Becker et al., 2009; Xue and Su , 2017). UAVs have advantages such as low cost (in many cases), mobility, safety, agility in data collection, high image resolution and the ability to couple specialized sensors (such as thermography and bathymetry).
These characteristics allow a detailed survey of the relief forms, the drainage network, the use and occupation of the land in floodplain areas, the presence of waste close to river channels and changes in the river landscape, such as rectification of watercourses, soil waterproofing and reduction of flow.
From the high-resolution images generated by UAVs , it is possible to produce Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and Digital Terrain Models (DTM), faithfully representing the topographic features and elements superimposed on the terrain. The literature points to an exponential growth in research with UAVs since 2015 ( Chabot , 2018), with an initial emphasis on engineering and, more recently, in the area of water resources (Liu et al., 2014; Eskandari et al., 2020; Manfreda et al., 2018).
In this field, studies such as those by Xu et al. (2023), who used UAVs to analyze flood risk in Chinese cities, McDonald (2019) and Zakaria et al. (2018), who explored their application in urban stormwater management, and Vélez-Nicolás et al. (2021), who investigated their use in surface and groundwater, stand out. Also noteworthy are the contributions of Sartori (2018), Soares et al. (2020), Bampi and Silva (2021) and Rezende (2022), who used data obtained by UAVs to generate DEMs and perform hydrodynamic simulations with high precision and reduced cost.
Thus, this article aims to carry out a systematic bibliographic review on the use of UAVs in water resources management, highlighting its potential and offering support for strengthening its application in scientific and technical contexts.
2 UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES (UAVs)
Technological advances in the areas of mechanics, aeronautics, electronics, computing, artificial intelligence and robotics, combined with the use of automated geospatial systems , gave rise to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ( UAVs), or drones (commonly known) ( Greenwood et al., 2019).
UAVs are motorized and remotely controlled aerial platforms, which can be autonomous or not, with the main difference in relation to traditional aircraft being the absence of a pilot on board, although they require human supervision ( Evaraerts , 2008). Models include multirotors ( quadcopters , hexacopters , etc.), fixed wing and hybrid. Rotary wing and fixed wing UAVs (figure 1) are the most used in hydrology and water management studies (Neto et al., 2016; Mello, 2020).
The applicability of UAVs depends on parameters such as the size of the area, the characteristics of the relief, the onboard equipment, the quality of the photos and the operational versatility. Fixed wing models, with greater autonomy, are indicated for large areas, while multirotors are preferred for their agility and vertical take-off and landing capability ( Jeziorska , 2019). Hydrological applications with multirotors are in Ahongshangbam et al. (2019), Resop et al. (2019) and Wigmore et al. (2019), and with fixed wing in Templin et al. (2018) and Escobar Villanueva et al. (2019).
Boon et al. (2017) compared fixed-wing and multirotor UAVs in terms of sensor specifications, flight patterns, and altitude. Multirotors were superior in terms of geospatial resolution and accuracy, while fixed-wing UAVs required less maintenance and guaranteed longer flight times. Sensors attached to UAVs are essential for several applications in hydrology and water resource management, ranging from RGB, multispectral, hyperspectral , thermal, LiDAR , and microwave sensors. Table 1 presents the hydrological applications, advantages, and disadvantages of different types of sensors used in UAVs .
RGB sensors capture images in the visible spectrum (400-700 nm ) and are portable and easy to operate, providing high-quality images for orthomosaics and MDS (Yang et al., 2019; Beene et al., 2021). Multispectral sensors capture reflectance in the visible and nearinfrared (NIR) ranges (400-1,000 nm ). Hyperspectral sensors , with high spectral resolution, capture data in several narrow bands (350-2,500 nm ), offering more spectral detail ( Colomina and Molina, 2014). Thermal sensors operate at long wavelengths (7.5-13.5 um ), with low geospatial resolution but the ability to detect wide ranges of temperatures ( Acharya , 2021).
LiDAR uses optical and infrared waves to generate 3D data and can penetrate the surface of water bodies ( Bagheri et al., 2015). Microwave sensors are either passive or active, depending on whether they reflect or emit radiation from the Earth .
3 METHODOLOGY
The bibliographic research was conducted based on the Preferred method Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analysis (PRISMA) (Page et al., 2021), which aims to ensure the consistency and quality of systematic reviews (Liberati et al., 2009; Shamseer et al., 2015; Araújo et al, 2024; Duarte, 2024; Gomes and Duarte, 2025). PRISMA involves four stages: identification, selection, eligibility and inclusion of studies, promoting transparency and reproducibility of the review ( Figure 2).
The identification process began with the definition of the research focus, which was to evaluate the use of UAVs in water resources management and their contributions to obtaining high-resolution data. The keywords " Unmanned Aerial Vehicles "; " Water management"; " Water Resources " and searches were carried out on the Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus platforms . In the selection stage, titles, abstracts and keywords were analyzed, excluding irrelevant studies.
At the eligibility stage, the following inclusion criteria were adopted: articles in English, Portuguese or Spanish, published between 2019 and 2025, that addressed the use of UAVs in water resource management, using high-resolution data for hydrological and hydrodynamic modeling in river basins or reservoirs.
Exclusion criteria included studies outside the scope of water management, such as agriculture, mining, and those focused on eutrophication processes or water quality analysis.
Duplicate articles were found in both databases and were counted separately. After applying the criteria, 16 articles were selected: 13 from Web of Science, 1 from Scopus and 2 from both databases.
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Based on the application of the PRISMA protocol, 16 studies that met the defined inclusion criteria were selected. The analyses highlighted different applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ( UAVs ) in water resource management, highlighting their effectiveness in activities such as mapping flood areas, flow estimates, hydrological and hydrodynamic modeling, and morphological analysis of rivers. In common, the studies reinforce the importance of high-resolution geospatial data provided by UAVs in improving the accuracy and reliability of the results.
In addition to technical applications, a significant concentration of scientific production was observed in certain countries, reflecting technological development and the capacity to invest in research into high-resolution geospatial data .
Most of the studies analyzed were conducted by institutions in China, the United States, and Western European countries, with less representation from nations in the global south, as pointed out by Sibanda et al. (2021). This unequal distribution reveals a global challenge in accessing technologies such as UAVs and highlights the need to strengthen local research capacities in regions vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and water scarcity. Table 2 presents the distribution of the number of scientific publications by country, evidencing this panorama.
In addition to the distribution of the number of scientific publications by country, an analysis of the publications with the greatest academic impact, measured by the number of citations, was carried out. This approach allows us to identify the reference studies that have guided the most recent research in the area of application of UAVs in the context of water resources management. Table 3 presents the most cited publications of the sample analyzed, highlighting the central themes addressed, the authors and the years of publication, which contributes to the understanding of the main trends and gaps in the study.
Among the oldest studies in the analyzed sample, McDonald (2019) presented a review on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ( UAVs ) in urban stormwater management, highlighting their potential to monitor water flow and quality, collect high-resolution geospatial data , and support the development of smart cities.
In the same year, Koutalakis et al. (2019) used low-cost UAVs to capture videos of a section of the Aggitis River and estimate surface water velocity using three software programs (PIVIab , PTVIab and KU-STIV) based on high-resolution images. Despite the methodological differences, the results showed similar trends, with velocities ranging from 0.02 to 3.98 m/s ( PIVlab ), 0.12 to 3.44 m/s ( PTVIab ) and 0.04 to 3.99 m/s (KU-STIV).
Lou et al. (2020) developed a long-term method to estimate discharges of 24 ungauged rivers on the Tibetan Plateau by combining the Manning- Strickler formula with data from UAVs and the Gaofen-2, SPOT-5, and Sentinel-2 satellites. The results indicated that GF-2 and UAVs were more effective for low-flow rivers, while SPOT-5 and Sentinel-2 performed better for high-flow rivers in the long term.
Samboko et al. (2020) evaluated the improvement in water resource management using geospatial data from UAVs and Remote Sensing. They discussed the factors that affect the accuracy of geospatial floodplain and bathymetry information, as well as the impact on the accuracy of a key curve.
Wufu et al. (2021) estimated the discharge of 19 river sections in the Tianshan Mountains (1989-2019) using UAVs, field data, and Landsat and Sentinel-2 imagery. Glacier sections showed a decrease in monthly discharge (-2.46%) and glacier reduction (-4.98%). Rain gauge sections showed an average increase of 2.27%, in response to increased precipitation. The study reinforces the combined use of UAVs and remote sensing in hydrological monitoring.
Sibanda et al. (2021) conducted a systematic review on the use of UAVs in mapping and modeling water quality and quantity. The results indicated modest progress, especially in the global south, due to the shortage of qualified professionals, regulations, and operational costs. Despite this, the authors highlight promising opportunities to expand research in this area.
Acharya et al. (2021) reviewed the literature on applications, challenges, and perspectives of UAVs in water resource management, highlighting their use in characterization, monitoring, evaluation, and modeling in an on-demand and cost-effective manner. The authors highlight UAVs as effective tools for monitoring natural resources and hydrological processes in a shorter time interval and in real time.
Esinetal. (2021) highlighted that the variation in the number of flows of different orders is related to the use of different limits for each DEM, depending on their geospatial resolutions . In terms of total flow length, the DEMs generated by UAVs and LiDAR presented similar results, while the other models provided lower values. In another study, Esin et al. (2021) compared morphometric analyses of a basin based on data from SRTM, ASTER, LiDAR , UAVs and a topographic map (1:25,000), observing greater similarity between the results obtained with LiDAR and UAVs.
Cislaghi et al. (2022) used UAV data in post-flood surveys to map changes in riverbeds, riverbanks, and vegetation. By combining satellite imagery and digital elevation models, the study generated accurate soil classification maps with high geospatial resolution .
Samboko et al. (2022) used high-resolution data obtained by UAVs for hydraulic modeling, comparing open-source and commercial software in terms of accuracy. They concluded that the adequate distribution of control points is more important than their quantity, being essential to ensure the quality of Digital Elevation Models ( DEMs ) and the reliability of the results obtained.
Song Ye et al. (2022) proposed an approach to extract high-resolution drainage networks in flat terrain based on hydrogeomorphic features derived from UAV data . The networks were generated from D'TMs and evaluated through visual comparisons and statistical analyses. The results demonstrated that the DTMs obtained by UAVs allow to accurately identify the flow directions of drainage networks.
Wufu et al. (2021) applied a water balance model with UAV and Remote Sensing data to estimate discharges in 10 sections of the Pamir Plateau (1999-2020). They identified an average reduction of -21.05% in monthly discharge, with 83% of the runoff coming from melting glaciers, whose area decreased by 63%. Basins with less glacial coverage showed greater sensitivity to climate change.
Cai et al. (2022) estimated the discharge of the Shiyang River with UAV images and the Manning formula, obtaining 1.16 m°/s and 3.11 m?/s with an error of less than 5% compared to the ADCP. The results, consistent with satellite images, indicate high accuracy and feasibility of using UAVs in water management in mountainous basins.
Zhou et al. (2022) used UAVs to extract hydraulic parameters in the Keriya River and estimate flow with the Manning formula. They compared the results with Relative Accuracy (RA) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), proposing curves between water width and depth, which offers a new technique for estimating runoff in arid zone rivers.
Lou et al. (2023) used UAVs and remote sensing data to obtain monthly discharge data from 16 river sections in the Haihe River Basin (China) between 2000 and 2020. The results showed that 10 plain sections reduced discharge by 2.13% annually, while 6 mountainous sections increased by 1.72% annually. Discharges showed a recovery lag of 3-11 years, being shortest in mountain rivers (3-9 years) and longest in lowland rivers (8-11 years).
The literature on the use of UAVs in water resource management is predominantly concentrated in developed countries, such as China, the USA and Western Europe, which highlights the difficulties of accessing these technologies in regions with less representation. On the other hand, the most cited studies reinforce the proven effectiveness of UAVs and highlight the need to expand their application.
5 CONCLUSION
Based on a systematic review using the PRISMA methodology, this study highlighted the main challenges, opportunities and perspectives related to the use of UAVs in water resources management. It was observed that UAVs represent a promising tool, offering new possibilities for the acquisition of high-resolution geospatial and temporal data , which can be integrated with in situ measurements to support planning and decision-making in water management.
Furthermore, data captured by sensors onboard UA Vs demonstrated great potential for parameterization and validation of products from orbital sensors and hydrological models.
Thus, it is concluded that UAVs constitute a strategic technology to face the growing challenges related to water availability and the impacts of climate change, contributing significantly to the advancement of sustainable water resources management.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank the funding agency Fundação de Amparo a Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (FACEPE) for the doctoral scholarship granted, thus providing support for the development of scientific and technological advancement in the area of the present study.
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Abstract
Objective: The objective of this work is to gather and analyze studies that address the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, in the area of water resources management. The proposal is to understand how this technology has been applied in the monitoring of rivers, lakes and other bodies of water, in addition to identifying its benefits and challenges. Theoretical Framework: In this topic, the models, classifications and sensors of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are presented, in addition to the advantages and disadvantages of hydrological applications with the different types of sensors used in UAVs. Method: The methodology adopted for this review involves the application of the PRISMA method. The search terms "Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" and "Water Resources Management" were used in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Based on the studies found, the PRISMA method organizes the preparation of the systematic review into four stages: identification, selection, eligibility and inclusion. Results and Discussion: A total of 16 articles were analyzed, with emphasis on those that contribute to water resource management, especially in obtaining high-resolution data for the application of hydrological and hydrodynamic modeling. The results indicate that UAVs offer relevant mechanisms for facing the growing challenges related to water availability and the impacts of climate change. Research Implications: This literature review, conducted using the PRISMA method, highlights the potential of UAVs to improve water resource management by enabling more accurate and accessible data collection. The results can support technical practices, public policies, and new research on the use of drones in environmental contexts. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by systematizing, in an unprecedented way, the main applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in water resources management, through a rigorous methodological approach based on the PRISMA protocol. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by the identification of trends, gaps and opportunities for the use of UAVs in water monitoring and management, offering practical support for researchers, professionals in the field and public policy makers