Indicators System for Sustainability Assessment of Water Resources Use in China
中国水资源可持续利用评价指标体系研究进展

On the basis of classification of water resources assessment,this paper discusses the base of building indicators system(IS) for sustainability assessment of water resources use(SAWRU)(ISSAWRU),that is,research progress on indicator system for both sustainable development assessment and water resources assessment.IS for assessing water resources use is a method of water resources evaluation sorted by evaluating indicator number,which is developed from single indicator and multi-indicators.IS has been one of studying focus of water resources evaluation in China.According to different assessing purpose or content,different IS have been formed in different study areas now.There are manifold principles and ways of indicators selection,formation and its application of IS for comprehensive assessment of water resources system in China.IS is suitable for synthesis assessment of water resources,but the exact indicator number of IS is decided by content of water resources synthesis assessment.Deriving ideas from general assessment of water resource and indicator system of sustainable development assessment,SAWRU are a comprehensive approach with multi-attributes of water resources system.Application of IS can make it possible to judge whether or not the benefits and costs of water resources use meets requirements of sustainable development of social,economic and environmental compound system by Principal Component Analysis,Analytic Hierarchy Process,etc.Furthermore,Water resources system tends to become more complicated under the pressure of population growth and economic development,and factors effecting sustainability of the system are numerous and difficult to be measured.Therefore,ISSAWRU is needed and fit for SAWRU.However,there are still some problems in the studies of ISSAWRU,such as how to properly deal with relations between indicators selection and assessing purpose,macro-and micro-characteristics of IS,dynamic and static characteristics of IS,integration ability and pertinence of indicators,maneuverability of IS,etc.To improve universal performance or scientific property of ISSAWRU,it is suggested that more attentions should be given to some potentially important studying aspects of ISSAWRU in the future,i.e.,establishing a scientific,universal,integrated ISSAWRU,bringing new theories and methods or technologies into SAWRU in time,strengthening studies on ISSAWRU for key users of water resources.