Scarcity macro definition11/9/2023 ![]() 2014) and where most of the global population now live (Gerland et al. Our analysis places particular priority on the characterisation of water scarcity in low-income countries of the tropics where the consequences of water scarcity are projected to be most severe (Jiménez-Cisneros et al. We expose substantial limitations in current metrics and critically examine what characteristics might define a more robust metric. The central purpose of our review is to stimulate debate about how best to measure ‘water scarcity’. We examine the evolution of these metrics as well as the data and assumptions that inform them. Here, we critically review the most widely employed measures of ‘water scarcity’ among the more than 150 indicators that have been identified (WWAP 2003 Vörösmarty et al. Such a metric would measure and evaluate progress towards reducing water scarcity and identify where and when water scarcity may occur in the future. Water scarcity can broadly be described as a shortage in the availability of renewable freshwater relative to demand (Taylor 2009) yet a more precise description is required to define a robust quantitative metric. This challenge is enshrined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.4 substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity by 2030. Further, we outline a conceptual framework redefining water scarcity in terms of freshwater storage.Įnsuring the availability of adequate quantities of freshwater to sustain the health and well-being of people and the ecosystems in which they live, remains one of the world’s most pressing challenges (Jiménez-Cisneros et al. We argue that measurement of water scarcity (1) be redefined physically in terms of the freshwater storage required to address imbalances in intra- and inter-annual fluxes of freshwater supply and demand (2) abandons subjective quantifications of human environments and (3) be used to inform participatory decision-making processes that explore a wide range of options for addressing freshwater storage requirements beyond dams that include use of renewable groundwater, soil water and trading in virtual water. There is a marked absence of research evaluating whether these metrics of water scarcity are meaningful. Metrics commonly estimate renewable freshwater resources using mean annual river runoff, which masks hydrological variability, and quantify subjectively socio-economic conditions characterising adaptive capacity. Metrics of water scarcity and stress have evolved over the last three decades from simple threshold indicators to holistic measures characterising human environments and freshwater sustainability.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |