Abstract
Natural resources are gradually coming under continuous and increasing pressure due to anthropogenic interventions and climate variabilities. The result of these pressures is reflected in the sustainability of natural resources. Significant scientific efforts during the recent years focus on mitigating the effects of these pressures and on increasing the sustainability of natural resources. Hence, there is a need to develop specific indices and indicators that will reveal the areas having the highest risks. The Water and Land Resources Degradation Index (WLDI) was developed for this purpose. WLDI consists of eleven indicators and its outcome results from the spatiotemporal performance of these indicators. The WLDI is based on the Standardized Drought Vulnerability Index (SDVI) and the Environmentally Sensitive Areas Index (ESAI). The WLDI is applied for the period from October 1983 to September 1996, considering Greece as a study area. The results of the application of this index reveal the areas with the highest risks, especially in the agricultural sector, with less than the needed water quantities due to extensive periods of droughts. This index could be used by scientists, but also by policy makers, to better and more sustainably manage environmental pressures.
Highlights
Integrated water resources management contributes to the appropriate use of surface and groundwater, with the goal of meeting the requirements of urban, agricultural, and industrial needs [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]
Water is in abundance in some regions of the world, while in others water resources may be sometimes scarce due to low rainfall, overpopulation, and lack of water specific infrastructure
Greece is used as a study area for the development and application of Water and Land
Summary
Integrated water resources management contributes to the appropriate use of surface and groundwater, with the goal of meeting the requirements of urban, agricultural, and industrial needs [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. Floods, droughts, hydroelectric power generation, and water scarcity have a great impact on the livelihoods of most of the population in most countries [8]. There is an urgent need for an adequate and fair distribution of water resources. The satisfaction of water needs is more difficult due to the high population growth in some regions [14,15].
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