To aid the exploration of ways to reduce water system shocks, GFI is exploring a new approach to identifying regions with extremely vulnerable freshwater supplies.

We are developing a framework that examines how shocks to a regional system impact human-water resources. The approach first considers “drivers,” or factors that create rapid changes in supply and demand for water. The framework then quantifies a myriad of “characteristics” reflecting a given system’s ability to adapt to change. Finally, “outcomes,” or impacts on system health and human well-being, are calculated using process models of system behavior and response.

This framework is designed to be applied to individual regions or basins, but its generalized structure allows for comparisons across systems. To reduce the impact of water system shocks, related intervention strategies can be identified that improve outcomes in different regions with similar characteristics.