Integrating the social, hydrological and ecological dimensions of freshwater health: The Freshwater Health Index

Abstract

Degradation of freshwater ecosystems and the services they provide is a primary cause of increasing water insecurity, raising the need for integrated solutions to freshwater management. While methods for characterizing the multi-faceted challenges of managing freshwater ecosystems abound, they tend to emphasize either social or ecological dimensions and fall short of being truly integrative. This paper suggests that management for sustainability of freshwater systems needs to consider the linkages between human water uses, freshwater ecosystems and governance. We present a conceptualization of freshwater resources as part of an integrated social-ecological system and propose a set of corresponding indicators to monitor freshwater ecosystem health and to highlight priorities for management. We demonstrate an application of this new framework -the Freshwater Health Index (FHI) - in the Dongjiang River Basin in southern China, where stakeholders are addressing multiple and conflicting freshwater demands. By combining empirical and modeled datasets with surveys to gauge stakeholders' preferences and elicit expert information about governance mechanisms, the FHI helps stakeholders understand the status of freshwater ecosystems in their basin, how ecosystems are being manipulated to enhance or decrease water-related services, and how well the existing water resource management regime is equipped to govern these dynamics over time. This framework helps to operationalize a truly integrated approach to water resource management by recognizing the interplay between governance, stakeholders, freshwater ecosystems and the services they provide.

Using the Freshwater Health Index to Assess Hydropower Development Scenarios in the Sesan, Srepok and Sekong River Basin

“…As a result, current approaches to water resources management seldom provide sustainable solutions [5]. A change is needed; in particular, the recognition that people are central to water systems [6,7], and that healthy freshwater systems deliver important ecosystem services [8]. In redefining our approach to managing water, we must also forsake traditional risk and optimization approaches that consider single issues and adopt exploratory analysis of complex trade-offs and real-world systems [1,7].In tackling the problem of water resource management, we present an application of the Freshwater Health Index (FHI) to Southeast Asia's transboundary Sekong, Sesan and Srepok (3S) River basin.…”

“…In redefining our approach to managing water, we must also forsake traditional risk and optimization approaches that consider single issues and adopt exploratory analysis of complex trade-offs and real-world systems [1,7].In tackling the problem of water resource management, we present an application of the Freshwater Health Index (FHI) to Southeast Asia's transboundary Sekong, Sesan and Srepok (3S) River basin. The FHI is a socio-and eco-centric indicator framework that views the sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems and the services they support as central to water resources management [8]. It is a nested, quantitative indicator system that assesses three interrelated components of freshwater health: Ecosystem Vitality, the health of freshwater ecosystems; Ecosystem Services, water-associated provisioning, regulating and cultural services; and Stakeholders and Governance, the people who have an interest in, or influence over, freshwater ecosystems and the rules, regulations and institutions that regulate the way in which stakeholders engage with freshwater ecosystems.…”

“…We are developing the FHI to assist stakeholders in understanding freshwater ecosystem dynamics, how they are manipulated to affect water-related services, and how the governance regime manages these dynamics. The FHI also organizes relevant data, provides quantitative information about social dynamics, and creates a platform for exploring future scenarios.Scenario analysis is an important part of the FHI framework [8]. Scenarios help explore options and can assist planning when faced with irreducible uncertainty [9].…”

“…Scenario analysis is an important part of the FHI framework [8]. Scenarios help explore options and can assist planning when faced with irreducible uncertainty [9].…”

Theory and practice to conserve freshwater biodiversity in the Anthropocene

“…Fortunately, significant expansion of existing tools and databases such as the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, ; and discussed by Tognelli et al, ) and HydroATLAS (http://wp.geog.mcgill.ca/hydrolab/hydroatlas/) is being complemented by a wave of new assessment methods for freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity. These include the Freshwater Health Index (Vollmer et al, ) and the Connectivity Status Index for the world's rivers (Grill et al, ). Systematic conservation planning, using tools like Marxan, will also become increasingly important for identifying networks of sites that can ensure species protection.…”