Watershed Sustainability Index: Concept, Applications, and Future Directions

Yıl 2025, ERKEN GÖRÜNÜM, 1 - 1

Erdal Kesgin

https://doi.org/10.2339/politeknik.1634354

Öz

Sustainable water resource systems are essential for meeting society's present and future needs while preserving ecological integrity. Ensuring sustainable management of a basin involves taking into account its hydrological characteristics, along with its environmental, social, and political aspects. Watershed Sustainability Index (WSI) is employed that integrates hydrology, environmental factors, biodiversity, and policy considerations. Its holistic and multidimensional approach provides insights into the complex interactions shaping watershed dynamics and supports evidence-based decision-making processes. Despite its utility, the Watershed Sustainability Index faces several challenges and limitations, including issues with data availability and quality, indicator selection and weighting, and the incorporation of diverse stakeholder perspectives. Addressing these challenges necessitates continued collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to refine the Watershed Sustainability Index methodology and enhance its relevance and robustness. Future research should focus on refining indicator frameworks, developing spatially explicit modeling approaches, and integrating emerging technologies like remote sensing and machine learning. Efforts to enhance scalability and transferability across different scales and contexts are crucial for supporting more effective watershed management strategies. This study provides a concise overview of the Watershed Sustainability Index by considering its conceptual framework, main applications and future perspectives.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Watershed sustainability index, Hydrology, HELP, Watershed Management

Havza Sürdürülebilirlik İndeksi: Konsept, Uygulamalar ve Gelecek Çalışmalar Üzerine Bir İnceleme

Öz

Sürdürülebilir su kaynakları sistemleri, toplumun mevcut ve gelecekteki ihtiyaçlarını karşılarken ekolojik bütünlüğü korumak için önemlidir. Bir havzanın sürdürülebilir yönetimini sağlamak, hidrolojik özelliklerinin yanı sıra çevresel, sosyal ve siyasal yönlerini de dikkate almayı gerektirir. Bu durumu kapsamlı bir şekilde değerlendirmek için, hidroloji, çevresel faktörler, biyoçeşitlilik ve politika parametrelerini entegre eden Havza Sürdürülebilirlik İndeksi (HSİ) kullanılır. Ayrıca, kapsayıcı ve çok boyutlu yaklaşımı, havza dinamiklerini şekillendiren karmaşık etkileşimler hakkında yol göstermekle birlikte, kanıta dayalı karar verme süreçlerini de destekler. Diğer taraftan, Havza Sürdürülebilirlik İndeksi veri erişilebilirliği ve kalitesi, gösterge/parametre seçimi ve ağırlıklandırılması ile çeşitli paydaş görüşlerinin dahil edilmesi gibi birkaç zorluk ve kısıtlamayla karşı karşıyadır. Bu zorlukların üstesinden gelmek, indeks metodolojisini geliştirmek ve bu metodolojinin ilgili ve sağlam olmasını sağlamak için araştırmacılar, uygulayıcılar ve politika yapıcılar arasında devam eden iş birliği olması gerekmektedir. Gelecek araştırmalar, indeksi oluşturan gösterge/parametre çerçevelerini geliştirmeye, mekânsal olarak açıklayıcı modelleme yaklaşımları geliştirmeye ve uzaktan algılama ve makine öğrenimi gibi yeni teknolojileri entegre etmeye odaklanmalıdır. Farklı ölçeklerde ve bağlamlarda ölçeklenebilirlik ve transfer edilebilirlik konusunda yapılan çabalar, daha etkili havza yönetimi stratejilerini desteklemek için önemlidir. Bu çalışma, Havza Sürdürülebilirlik İndeksi'nin kavramsal çerçevesini, temel uygulamalarını ve gelecek perspektiflerini göz önünde bulundurarak genel bir bakış sunmayı hedeflemektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Havza Sürdürülebilirlik İndeksi, Hidroloji, HELP, Havza Yönetimi

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