Choubin et al. (2025) Discover the world of drought and water scarcity indices: insights for a sustainable future

Identification

• Journal: Elsevier eBooks
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-29
• Authors: Bahram Choubin, Fereshteh Taromideh, Biro Tibor
• DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-443-26722-2.00016-7

Research Groups

• Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Department, Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Isfahan, Iran
• Department of Engineering, University of Campania, Aversa, Province of Caserta, Caserta, Italy
• University of Public Service, Budapest, Hungary

Short Summary

This chapter synthesizes the critical role of drought and water scarcity indices as essential tools for monitoring, predicting, and managing water resources, emphasizing their importance for sustainable water management and policy-making in the face of global environmental challenges.

Objective

• To analyze and highlight the importance of various indices used for monitoring, predicting, and managing drought and water scarcity, providing insights for sustainable water resource management and policy development.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global (discussion of worldwide challenges and general applicability of indices).
• Temporal Scale: Long-term (discussion of climate change impacts, long-term water requirements, and historical economic impacts over decades).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: This chapter synthesizes information on various drought and water scarcity indices, including the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Palmer Drought Severity Index, and Groundwater Stress Index (GSI).
• Data sources: This chapter discusses that indices can be derived from diverse data sources, ranging from simple rainfall measurements to advanced satellite-based monitoring systems.

Main Results

• Drought and water scarcity indices are indispensable tools for monitoring, predicting, and managing water resources globally.
• These indices provide a quantitative basis for understanding water availability by integrating climatic, hydrological, and socioeconomic factors.
• They enable comprehensive assessments of current and future water conditions, facilitating better anticipation of drought events and efficient water resource allocation.
• Indices are crucial for developing long-term strategies for sustainable water management and informing policies related to water conservation, resource management, and climate adaptation.
• Established indices include the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Palmer Drought Severity Index for drought, and the Groundwater Stress Index (GSI) for groundwater pressure.
• A direct correlation exists between drought severity, the frequency of reported drought impacts, and aridity, with more arid areas experiencing more frequent impacts.

Contributions

• This chapter provides a comprehensive synthesis of the existing landscape of drought and water scarcity indices, consolidating their definitions, characteristics, and applications.
• It underscores the critical role of these indices in informing effective water resource management, policy formulation, and climate adaptation strategies.
• It highlights the quantitative basis provided by these indices for understanding complex water availability conditions, thereby bridging scientific understanding with practical management needs.

Funding

• Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Choubin2025Discover,
  author = {Choubin, Bahram and Taromideh, Fereshteh and Tibor, Biro},
  title = {Discover the world of drought and water scarcity indices: insights for a sustainable future},
  journal = {Elsevier eBooks},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/b978-0-443-26722-2.00016-7},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-26722-2.00016-7}
}