ABSTRACT

This paper proposes a Rural Water Sustainability Index (RWSI). Using this tool, decision-makers can identify and prioritize locations that require state intervention to develop strategies and guarantee water to rural communities. Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) and Geographical Information System (GIS) were combined to integrate different indicators into the assessment and generate maps showing spatial levels of water sustainability in rural communities. RWSI was applied on a case study in 26 rural communities in the municipality of Pombal, Paraíba, Brazil. We realized 165 interviews with those living in rural communities. Consultation with experts was conducted using the Delphi method to assign weights and scores to the components, subcomponents, and indicators. The results illustrated a heterogeneous spatial behavior between rural communities of the municipality of Pombal, even though the index values for the majority (57.7%) of communities ranged from 5.8 to 6.0. For application in other countries and regions, researchers need to conduct public and expert consultation to adjust weight of components and subcomponents, and then the RWSI method can estimate water sustainability and produce maps anywhere in the world.

摘要

本文提出了农村水资源可持续发展指数（RWSI）。使用此工具，决策者可以确定并优先考虑需要国家干预以制定战略并保证农村社区用水的地点。多标准分析 (MCA) 和地理信息系统 (GIS) 相结合，将不同的指标整合到评估中，并生成显示农村社区水资源可持续性空间水平的地图。RWSI 应用于巴西帕拉伊巴 Pombal 市 26 个农村社区的案例研究。我们实现了对农村社区居民的 165 次访谈。使用德尔菲法与专家进行协商，为组成部分、子组成部分和指标分配权重和分数。结果表明，庞巴尔市农村社区之间存在异质空间行为，尽管大多数社区 (57.7%) 的指数值介于 5.8 到 6.0 之间。对于其他国家和地区的应用，研究人员需要通过公众和专家咨询来调整组件和子组件的权重，然后RWSI方法可以估计水的可持续性并制作世界任何地方的地图。