Adaptable and comprehensive vulnerability assessments for water resources systems in a rapidly changing world.

Autor: Gordon BL; Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Pkwy, Reno, NV, 89512, USA; Graduate Program in Hydrologic Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA. Electronic address: blgordon@alumni.stanford.edu., Koebele EA; Graduate Program in Hydrologic Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA; Department of Political Science, University of Nevada, Reno 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA., Rego JJ; Graduate Program in Hydrologic Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA., Harpold AA; Graduate Program in Hydrologic Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA; Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA., Ajami NK; Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of environmental management [J Environ Manage] 2024 Feb 14; Vol. 352, pp. 119958. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jan 23.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119958
Abstrakt: Comprehensive and adaptive approaches to vulnerability assessment are crucial for guiding effective adaptation in global water resources systems. A common approach to quantify vulnerability is through indicators, which capture the 'spirit of vulnerability' while retaining practical ease-of-use benefits. However, a comprehensive meta-analysis of reveals two specific limitations of global indicator-based vulnerability assessments for water resources systems: 1) vulnerability is influenced by complex interactions among multi-domain factors, for which indicator quality and data vary; and 2) vulnerability is dynamic and evolves over time, an aspect overlooked in most approaches. In response to these identified challenges, we propose a new dynamic "build-your-own" approach to vulnerability assessment. Our approach focuses on correcting for the identified gaps and biases in indicators and data to improve assessment comprehensiveness. This approach also incorporates guidance around adapting assessments over time to better reflect vulnerability under changing conditions. The open-source nature of our approach and underlying data can facilitate the development and customization of indicator-based vulnerability assessments for diverse applications, supporting practical and relevant planning for more resilient water resources systems.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
Externí odkaz: