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Measuring Global Water Security Towards Sustainable Development GoalsWater plays an important role in underpinning equitable, stable and productive societies and ecosystems. Hence, United Nations recognized ensuring water security as one (Goal 6) of the seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs). Many international river basins are likely to experience 'low water security' over the coming decades. Water security is rooted not only in the physical availability of freshwater resources relative to water demand, but also on social and economic factors (e.g. sound water planning and management approaches, institutional capacity to provide water services, sustainable economic policies). Until recently, advanced tools and methods are available for the assessment of water scarcity. However, quantitative and integrated-physical and socio-economic-approaches for spatial analysis of water security at global level are not available yet. In this study, we present a spatial multi-criteria analysis framework to provide a global assessment of water security. The selected indicators are based on Goal 6 of SDGs. The term 'security' is conceptualized as a function of 'availability', 'accessibility to services', 'safety and quality', and 'management'. The proposed global water security index (GWSI) is calculated by aggregating indicator values on a pixel-by-pixel basis, using the ordered weighted average method, which allows for the exploration of the sensitivity of final maps to different attitudes of hypothetical policy makers. Our assessment suggests that countries of Africa, South Asia and Middle East experience very low water security. Other areas of high water scarcity, such as some parts of United States, Australia and Southern Europe, show better GWSI values, due to good performance of management, safety and quality, and accessibility. The GWSI maps show the areas of the world in which integrated strategies are needed to achieve water related targets of the SDGs particularly in the African and Asian continents.
Document ID
20160014917
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Gain, Animesh K.
(GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences Potsdam, Germany)
Giupponi, Carlo
(Venice Univ. Italy)
Wada, Yoshihide
(NASA Goddard Inst. for Space Studies New York, NY, United States)
Date Acquired
December 30, 2016
Publication Date
December 6, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: Environmental Research Letters
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Volume: 11
Issue: 12
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN38103
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
sustainable-development goals
water security
water scarcity
spatial multicriteria analysis

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