In water resources administration, the difference between reactive management and sustainable governance lies in data quality, process efficiency, territorial vision, and technological autonomy. With the launch of our new dedicated website at sirh.icarto.es, we want to highlight the main reasons why river basin authorities choose the Water Resources Information System (SIRH) by iCarto.
1. GIS Power and a Geospatial “Single Source of Truth”
Many public institutions suffer from scattered data stored in physical files, paper registries, and disconnected spreadsheets across departments. SIRH stems from the integration of administrative management and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). It centralizes water administration into a single geospatial database, enabling authorities to locate, analyze, and query abstraction points, discharges, distribution networks, agricultural plots, and administrative boundaries on interactive maps within a unified operational environment.
2. Technological Sovereignty and 100% Open Source Philosophy
Governing a strategic resource like water should not entail vendor lock-in or prohibitive recurring software licensing fees. With SIRH, 100% of code and data ownership remains strictly with the institution. This means zero recurring license costs and total freedom to scale the number of users, servers, or regional offices without financial penalties, all built on open standards and leading open-source GIS technologies.
3. Complete Lifecycle Coverage: From Permitting to Revenue Collection
SIRH connects spatial insights with every administrative stage necessary to ensure the operational and financial sustainability of river basins. It enables automated workflows and transparent tracking for application status, renewals, and official permit issuance, combined with automated consumption estimates based on institutional and spatial parameters. Furthermore, it professionalizes revenue collection through batch invoicing and payment tracking by geographic zones or basins.
4. A Methodology Focused on Real-World Adoption
Most technology projects in the public sector fail not because of code, but due to a lack of day-to-day user adoption. At iCarto, we do not deliver off-the-shelf or rigid software: we configure the platform alongside technical teams through collaborative co-design and dedicate 40% to 50% of total project effort to hands-on workshops and capacity building. Our three-phase roadmap (Registry & Mapping, Procedures, and Billing) ensures a gradual rollout tailored to local institutional and territorial realities.
5. Scalable Ecosystem Built for Field and User Engagement
Once the core registry and billing foundation is consolidated, SIRH expands through advanced modules. SIRH Mobile, a field inspection tool leveraging GPS positioning for paperless data collection synchronized with the central database, and the Digital Customer Portal, a web environment where water users can transparently check permit statuses, submit online applications, and review billing statements.
6. Proven Track Record and Documented Impact
SIRH brings 10 years of experience enhancing spatial management for water concessions and users. Its effectiveness is proven through consolidated national and regional deployments across 2 countries (Mozambique since 2018 and Eswatini since 2024), supporting 5 water authorities. Today, SIRH manages over 5,000 georeferenced licenses, 4,000+ registered water users, and 100+ active institutional users.
Explore All the Details on Our New Website!
We invite you to explore SIRH’s modular architecture, view GIS map interface previews, and learn more about our ongoing projects at https://sirh.icarto.es.