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Evolution and Trends of Water Scarcity Indicators: Unveiling Gaps, Challenges, and Collaborative Opportunities

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Abstract

Water scarcity indicators serve as tools for assessing the extent and nature of water scarcity within a region. The evolution of these indicators and assessment methodologies dates back to the 1980s. Employing a bibliometric approach, this study aims to delineate trends, research hotspots, influential studies, authors, institutions, and countries within the domain. Utilizing Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension and VosViewer software, 153 articles from Web of Science and 248 articles from Scopus up to the year 2020 were analyzed. The post-2000 era witnessed a notable surge in research endeavors, particularly directed at comprehensive water scarcity indicators. Key research domains included the integration of green and grey water, environmental flows, virtual water trade, water footprinting of food production, and exploration of adaptive capacity. Prominent research gaps encompassed the absence of climate change integration in water scarcity assessments, the omission of local contextual factors, challenges related to data availability, sociocultural considerations, and the influence of governance and policies. Geographic analysis highlighted a concentration of research output in regions such as China, the Americas, and Europe, underscoring comparatively tepid research activities in water scarcity hotspots including the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, coupled with an associated funding disparity. The study underscores the exigency for enhanced collaborative research endeavors rooted in holistic methodologies that inherently acknowledge local contextual nuances.

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Data Availability

Water resource data is scarce or of poor quality in many regions [40], particularly developing countries. The data requirement for holistic indicators is huge, as multifaceted data is needed for the multidimensional assessment of water scarcity. It is a huge scientific challenge to develop indicators that can work with limited or questionable data. There would be a dire need for collaboration between researchers and practitioners to devise data frameworks.

Data Availability

All data used in the study are available online at www.webofscience.com and www.scopus.com using search key TS = (“water scarcity” AND (“indicator” OR “metrics” OR “index” OR “indices”)).

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Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2021YFC3000203) and the Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Simulation and Safety (HESS-1705).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Water Conservancy & Transportation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China

    Zafar Hussain, Zongmin Wang, Haibo Yang & Wusen Wang

  2. Water Resources Section, Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Islamabad, 44020, Pakistan

    Zafar Hussain

  3. Institute for Art and Culture Lahore, Centre for Climate and Environmental Research, Lahore, 53400, Pakistan

    Muhammad Arfan

  4. Centre for Ports and Maritime Safety, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, 116026, China

    Muhammad Faisal

  5. Freshwater Department, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Lahore, 54000, Pakistan

    Muhammad Imran Azam

  6. Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300, Pakistan

    Muhammad Usman

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  1. Zafar Hussain
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Contributions

Conceptualization: [Zafar Hussain], [Zongmin Wang], and [Haibo Yang], Methodology: [Zafar Hussain], [Haibo Yang], and [Muhammad Arfan]; Literature Search:[Wusen Wang], and [Muhammad Faisal]; Original Drafting: [Zafar Hussain]; Critical Review: [Zongmin Wang], [Haibo Yang], and [Muhammad Imran Azam]; Editing: [Zafar Hussain], [Muhammad Faisal] and [Muhammad Usman] Funding Arrangement: [Haibo Yang].

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Haibo Yang.

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Hussain, Z., Wang, Z., Yang, H. et al. Evolution and Trends of Water Scarcity Indicators: Unveiling Gaps, Challenges, and Collaborative Opportunities. Water Conserv Sci Eng 9, 8 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41101-024-00240-4

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