What is it about?
How do we measure whether a river basin is being managed sustainably? This study develops a new sustainability index for hydrographic sub-basins in the upper Paraná River that, for the first time, incorporates aquatic biodiversity alongside traditional social and environmental criteria. Using a multi-criteria approach with stakeholder input, we show that including freshwater biodiversity provides a more complete and meaningful picture of basin-level sustainability, revealing trade-offs that would otherwise be missed.
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Why is it important?
Sustainability assessments for river basins rarely account for biodiversity, leading to incomplete evaluations of environmental health. This study introduces a stakeholder-based, multi-criteria framework that fills this gap, offering a practical and replicable tool for water resource managers across South America. The approach can help guide more equitable and ecologically sound decision-making in watershed governance.
Perspectives
This work grew from our conviction that biodiversity cannot be separated from sustainable development goals. Bringing together scientists, stakeholders, and local knowledge to build a sustainability index was both challenging and rewarding. We hope this framework inspires similar efforts in other river basins around the world.
PhD Edivando Vitor do Couto
Technische Universitat Munchen
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Incorporating aquatic biodiversity into sustainability index for hydrographic sub-basins: a multi-criteria stakeholder assessment approach in the Upper Paraná River, Hydrobiologia, August 2024, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s10750-024-05648-6.
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