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- 1. Where in the World Challenge Water Resources T. Colwell | T. Harner | D. Pesce | A. DeMoss James Madison University Spring 2014
- 2. Background In order to assess the five best and five worst places to live in 2025 with regard to water resources, our team devised and constructed a multivariate scaling system. The scale factors six distinctive variables derived from the United Nations (UN) and the Fund for Peace (FFP) that our team believes will have to greatest impact on water resources in the future. The variables are assigned different statistical weights and ultimately compute a cumulative rank that assesses the prowess and usability of water resources for each country. http://ffp.statesindex.org/images/fsisidebaricon2013.png http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/images/swm_cities _zaragoza/un-desa.png
- 3. Scale Factors I. Total actual renewable water resources per capita (m3/inhab/yr) UN Water • The maximum yearly amount of water tangibly available for a country per capita • Considers averages for river/stream flows, aquifer recharge, endogenous precipitation, water import and export facilitated by treaty agreements II. Percent of freshwater resources withdrawn (%) UN Water • Total freshwater withdrawn in a given year • Reflects the pressure/stress on the renewable water resources based on inflow/outflow models III. Population change (%) UN • Ratio: 2025 population projection / current population IV. Uneven Economic Development FFP • Depicts disparities in resource access and allocation from social and societal pressures V. Poverty and Economic Decline FFP • Reflects friction between the state’s ability to provide for its citizens • Incorporates strains from unemployment, inflation, GDP per capita, purchasing power, debt and deficit VI. Public Services FFP • The provision of health and sanitation services
- 4. Data Definitions & Omissions • “Place” defined with a country-level enumeration • Included countries recognized as independent by the United Nations 82 countries with missing or inconsistent data were regarded as insignificant and omitted from our analysis because these countries cumulatively comprise less than one percent of the global population • Scale variable weighted by percentage: • Economic/social factors (III, IV, V, VI) 7.5% each • Water resource factors (I, II) 35% each Excel Formula