Document Type
Monograph
Publication Date
2002
Publication Title
The World's Water 2002-2003: the Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources
Volume
2002-2003
First Page
87
Last Page
112
Abstract
This chapter reviews methods for assessing the relationship between freshwater resources and human well-being through the development of indicators and indices. It examines single-factor measures like access to clean water, sanitation services, and per capita availability, as well as multifactor indices that integrate economic, environmental, and social variables. Case studies include the Falkenmark Water Stress Index, Basic Human Needs measure, Water Resources Vulnerability Index, and Water Poverty Index. The authors highlight the usefulness of these tools for policy, planning, and public awareness, while emphasizing limitations such as data gaps, changing definitions, scale mismatches, and the difficulty of aggregating diverse measures. They conclude that effective water indicators must be clearly defined, transparent in assumptions, and sensitive to local conditions to guide sustainable water management.
Recommended Citation
Gleick, Peter H., Elizabeth L. Chalecki, and Arlene Wong. 2002. Chapter 4 “Measuring Water Well-Being: Water Indicators and Indices” As found in Gleick, Peter, ed. The World’s Water 2002-2003: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources. Washington, DC: Island Press. 334 pp.
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Comments
This is a chapter co-written by University of Nebraska at Omaha faculty, Elizabeth Chalecki, and was deposited with permission from the publisher.
From World’s Water 2002-2003, by Peter Gleick et al. Copyright © 2002 Island Press. Reproduced by permission of Island Press, Washington, DC
This work is copyrighted and any reuse or permissions must be obtained from the copyright holder.
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