Author(s): Sang-Hyeok Park; Se-Bin Park; Young-Jun Kim; Joo-Heon Lee
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Global water security; Governance; Risk management
Abstract: Water security is a multidimensional concept linking water availability, accessibility, ecosystem health and institutional capacity, and it is central to global development priorities such as Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 (UN, 2015). As understanding of water security has broadened from addressing physical scarcity to ensuring access, protecting ecosystems and supporting human well-being (Cook C & Bakker K, 2012), the need for assessments that reflect these multiple dimensions has become increasingly clear(Gain et al., 2016). This study applies a harmonized framework to evaluate water security in 187 countries in 2000 and 2020. Water security is assessed across six core areas using 17 indicators. Indicators are processed using the interquartile range (IQR) method and Min–Max scaling and aggregated into a composite index ranging from 1 (low) to 5 (high). The results show pronounced spatial disparities, with persistently low scores in Africa and Arab States and high, relatively stable scores in Northern Europe, North America, New Zealand and Australia. The framework offers a practical basis for tracking long-term trends in water security and identifying priority regions for investment and policy action.
Year: 2026