An ecological information analysis-based approach for assessing the sustainability of water use systems: a case study of the Huaihe River Basin, China

Abstract

The development and use of indicators is common practice in efforts to promote sustainable development of water use systems. Building on the balanced network structure derived from the analysis of ecological information, in this study, we proposed a conceptual model and the network structure index (NSI), a new indicator that includes network efficiency and resilience. Furthermore, considering the need to cover measures of the state of water use systems, we combined the NSI with conventional multi-dimensional indicators including economic, social, and environmental factors to form an aggregated index for a more thorough and practical sustainability measurement. Based on the proposed new indicators, we used the four sub-basins of China’s Huaihe River as case studies. The goal of this study is to develop a new metric incorporating whole-system attributes for assessing the sustainability of water use systems. It represents the first attempt to provide a more reliable methodological tool to advance current assessments of sustainable water use.