Comparative Analysis of Water Sustainability Indices: A Systematic Review

Jarzebski, Marcin Pawel, Karthe, Daniel, Chapagain, Saroj Kumar, Setiawati, Martiwi Diah, Wadumestrige Dona, Chethika Gunasiri, Pu, Jian and Fukushi, Kensuke, (2024). Comparative Analysis of Water Sustainability Indices: A Systematic Review. Water, 16(7), 961-n/a

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  • Sub-type Journal article
    Author Jarzebski, Marcin Pawel
    Karthe, Daniel
    Chapagain, Saroj Kumar
    Setiawati, Martiwi Diah
    Wadumestrige Dona, Chethika Gunasiri
    Pu, Jian
    Fukushi, Kensuke
    Title Comparative Analysis of Water Sustainability Indices: A Systematic Review
    Appearing in Water
    Volume 16
    Issue No. 7
    Publication Date 2024-03-27
    Place of Publication online
    Publisher MDPI
    Start page 961
    End page n/a
    Language eng
    Abstract The achievement of water sustainability necessitates the development and application of comprehensive assessment tools to monitor and evaluate the impact of water resource management. This article presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of various water sustainability indices, emphasizing their underlying principles, methodologies, and potential applications. Our study reveals the diverse landscape of existing indices, illustrating that even indices with similar names can vary significantly in scope and methodology. Via a systematic review of 124 publications, this study provides insights into existing composite indices related to water sustainability, highlighting their specific applications and potential contributions to water resource management and sustainability. The information gathered from the selected papers was synthesized and analyzed thematically to identify common patterns through keyword co-occurrence mapping, SDG mapping, standard review protocols, and cluster analyses. Through a cluster analysis, we identified six distinct clusters of indices, highlighting the need for careful consideration in selecting appropriate ones. Moreover, our analysis of co-occurring keywords underscores the close relationship between sustainable development, water resources, water supply, and water conservation within the context of water-related indices. Notably, these indices address not only sustainable development goal six but also a number of other interconnected goals. It was also found that “sustainability index” is a common name for different nature water indices. This review also identifies research gaps in the existing literature. However, significant limitations exist, including a lack of historical application and future projections for many current water sustainability indicators. Without the ability to track changes over time and project the future, identifying areas of improvement and measuring progress toward long-term water sustainability goals becomes challenging. Furthermore, many indices are complex and designed for watershed or regional levels, limiting their adaptability to different contexts. Despite these challenges, indices remain valuable tools for assessing and managing water resources sustainably, addressing various dimensions of sustainability, and supporting decision-making processes across different sectors and contexts.
    Keyword Water sustainability indices
    systematic review
    SDG6
    water resource management
    water sustainability
    water resource sustainability
    Copyright Holder The Author(s)
    Copyright Year 2024
    Copyright type Creative commons
    ISSN 2073-4441
    DOI https://doi.org/10.3390/w16070961
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    Created: Mon, 09 Dec 2024, 19:47:04 JST by Věra Greschner Farkavcová on behalf of UNU FLORES