Open AccessWater scarcity assessments in the past, present, and future
Author(s) -
Liu Junguo,
Yang Hong,
Gosling Simon N.,
Kummu Matti,
Flörke Martina,
Pfister Stephan,
Hanasaki Naota,
Wada Yoshihide,
Zhang Xinxin,
Zheng Chunmiao,
Alcamo Joseph,
Oki Taikan
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
earth's future
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.641
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2328-4277
DOI - 10.1002/2016ef000518
Subject(s) - water scarcity , scarcity , virtual water , natural resource economics , water resources , population , water use , environmental science , environmental planning , environmental resource management , business , water resource management , economics , ecology , demography , biology , microeconomics , sociology
Water scarcity has become a major constraint to socio‐economic development and a threat to livelihood in increasing parts of the world. Since the late 1980s, water scarcity research has attracted much political and public attention. We here review a variety of indicators that have been developed to capture different characteristics of water scarcity. Population, water availability, and water use are the key elements of these indicators. Most of the progress made in the last few decades has been on the quantification of water availability and use by applying spatially explicit models. However, challenges remain on appropriate incorporation of green water (soil moisture), water quality, environmental flow requirements, globalization, and virtual water trade in water scarcity assessment. Meanwhile, inter‐ and intra‐annual variability of water availability and use also calls for assessing the temporal dimension of water scarcity. It requires concerted efforts of hydrologists, economists, social scientists, and environmental scientists to develop integrated approaches to capture the multi‐faceted nature of water scarcity.