Developing and exploring indicators of water sustainable development

The pressures of rapid economic growth, population increase, and global warming are stretching the availabilities of natural freshwater sources which have implications for economic prosperity and human life. Water resources are entwined in a complex socio-economic system, affected by water demands as well as the environmental implications of pollution and waste discharges. Drawing on existing measures of social and economic wellbeing, this research presents the development of indicators that place economic growth within the context of social and environmental development, presenting a measure that assesses how water resources are used in a manner that is efficient and beneficial to society as a whole. From a study of 37 nations, the findings show that in countries with relatively high (by global standards) economic and social development, there is a discrepancy between social development and the productive use of water resources. This opens up potential applications for policy makers and industry leaders to monitor and measure their progress towards water sustainable practices and enable international comparisons of water sustainable development.