Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Surface Water Management: A Comprehensive Review of Methods, Applications, and Challenges

Surface water systems face unprecedented stress due to climate variability, urbanization, land-use change, and growing water demand—prompting a shift from traditional hydrological modeling to intelligent, adaptive systems. This review critically explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in surface flow management, encompassing applications in streamflow forecasting, sediment transport, flood prediction, water quality monitoring, and infrastructure operations such as dam and irrigation control. Drawing from over two decades of interdisciplinary literature, this study synthesizes recent advances in machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), the Internet of Things (IoT), remote sensing, and hybrid AI–physics models. Unlike earlier reviews focusing on single aspects, this paper presents a systems-level perspective that links AI technologies to their operational, ethical, and governance dimensions. It highlights key AI techniques—including Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), Transformer models, and Reinforcement Learning—and discusses their strengths, limitations, and implementation challenges, particularly in data-scarce and climate-uncertain regions. Novel insights are provided on Explainable AI (XAI), algorithmic bias, cybersecurity risks, and institutional readiness, positioning this paper as a roadmap for equitable and resilient AI adoption. By combining methodological analysis, conceptual frameworks, and future directions, this review offers a comprehensive guide for researchers, engineers, and policy-makers navigating the next generation of intelligent surface flow management.