Dynamic processes of water conflicts and their coupling with water crises in Asia’s transboundary river basins
As water resources become more scarce, transboundary river basins in Asia are hotspots of global water conflicts and areas with high water security risks. However, the dynamics of water conflicts in Asian transboundary river basins and the coupling relationship between water conflicts and water cris...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25002560 |
| _version_ | 1826533211345256448 |
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| author | Xuanxuan Wang Buli Cui Yaning Chen Tao Feng Zhi Li Gonghuan Fang |
| author_facet | Xuanxuan Wang Buli Cui Yaning Chen Tao Feng Zhi Li Gonghuan Fang |
| author_sort | Xuanxuan Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As water resources become more scarce, transboundary river basins in Asia are hotspots of global water conflicts and areas with high water security risks. However, the dynamics of water conflicts in Asian transboundary river basins and the coupling relationship between water conflicts and water crisis are poorly understood. Therefore, this study thoroughly examined the spatiotemporal changes in water conflict events (1948–2022) and quantitatively assessed the coupling degree and causality between water conflict and water crisis based on transboundary water event database, water stress index (WSI), correlation coefficient and the Granger causality tests. The conclusions showed an increase in the number of transboundary water conflicts in Asia, with “South Asia-West Asia” being the most intensive area, and the Jordan and Tigris-Euphrates/Shatt Al-Arab river basins in West Asia having the highest number of water conflicts, with 294 and 291 cases, respectively. Followed by the Indus river basin in South Asia (215). On a national scale, bilateral conflicts between Syria-Turkey and India-Pakistan were the most frequent. The water crisis was increasing in almost river basins, and the Indus and Jordan river basins are experiencing “severe water stress”. Water conflict and water stress have obvious coupling relationships in Asian transboundary river basins, and the three basins with the strongest water conflicts (Jordan, Tigris-Euphrates/Shatt Al-Arab, and Indus river basins) all showed significant positive correlation and unidirectional causal relationship with the water stress. |
| first_indexed | 2025-03-14T02:03:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-df1c27504fee4fe18a69e204b874cde9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-14T02:03:31Z |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj.art-df1c27504fee4fe18a69e204b874cde92025-03-12T06:15:58ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2025-03-01172113325Dynamic processes of water conflicts and their coupling with water crises in Asia’s transboundary river basinsXuanxuan Wang0Buli Cui1Yaning Chen2Tao Feng3Zhi Li4Gonghuan Fang5School of Hydraulic and Civil Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, PR ChinaThe Institute for Advanced Study of Coastal Ecology, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, PR China; Corresponding authors at: The Institute for Advanced Study of Coastal Ecology, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, PR China (B. Cui).National Key Laboratory of Arid Area Ecological Security and Sustainable Development, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, PR China; Corresponding authors at: The Institute for Advanced Study of Coastal Ecology, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, PR China (B. Cui).Third Geological and Mineral Exploration Institute of Shandong Province, Yantai 264025, PR ChinaNational Key Laboratory of Arid Area Ecological Security and Sustainable Development, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, PR ChinaSchool of Hydraulic and Civil Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, PR ChinaAs water resources become more scarce, transboundary river basins in Asia are hotspots of global water conflicts and areas with high water security risks. However, the dynamics of water conflicts in Asian transboundary river basins and the coupling relationship between water conflicts and water crisis are poorly understood. Therefore, this study thoroughly examined the spatiotemporal changes in water conflict events (1948–2022) and quantitatively assessed the coupling degree and causality between water conflict and water crisis based on transboundary water event database, water stress index (WSI), correlation coefficient and the Granger causality tests. The conclusions showed an increase in the number of transboundary water conflicts in Asia, with “South Asia-West Asia” being the most intensive area, and the Jordan and Tigris-Euphrates/Shatt Al-Arab river basins in West Asia having the highest number of water conflicts, with 294 and 291 cases, respectively. Followed by the Indus river basin in South Asia (215). On a national scale, bilateral conflicts between Syria-Turkey and India-Pakistan were the most frequent. The water crisis was increasing in almost river basins, and the Indus and Jordan river basins are experiencing “severe water stress”. Water conflict and water stress have obvious coupling relationships in Asian transboundary river basins, and the three basins with the strongest water conflicts (Jordan, Tigris-Euphrates/Shatt Al-Arab, and Indus river basins) all showed significant positive correlation and unidirectional causal relationship with the water stress.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25002560Water conflictWater ecological crisisWater stress indexCoupling relationshipTransboundary river basin in Asia |
| spellingShingle | Xuanxuan Wang Buli Cui Yaning Chen Tao Feng Zhi Li Gonghuan Fang Dynamic processes of water conflicts and their coupling with water crises in Asia’s transboundary river basins Ecological Indicators Water conflict Water ecological crisis Water stress index Coupling relationship Transboundary river basin in Asia |
| title | Dynamic processes of water conflicts and their coupling with water crises in Asia’s transboundary river basins |
| title_full | Dynamic processes of water conflicts and their coupling with water crises in Asia’s transboundary river basins |
| title_fullStr | Dynamic processes of water conflicts and their coupling with water crises in Asia’s transboundary river basins |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dynamic processes of water conflicts and their coupling with water crises in Asia’s transboundary river basins |
| title_short | Dynamic processes of water conflicts and their coupling with water crises in Asia’s transboundary river basins |
| title_sort | dynamic processes of water conflicts and their coupling with water crises in asia s transboundary river basins |
| topic | Water conflict Water ecological crisis Water stress index Coupling relationship Transboundary river basin in Asia |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25002560 |
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