Global water resources knowledge gaps
Shuanglei Wu, Yongping Wei, Xuemei Wang
Abstract
Abstract. The stationarity of hydrological systems is dead. Has our hydrological/water resources knowledge well transformed to address this change? By using publications indexed in the Web of Science database since 1900, we aim to investigate the global development of water resources knowledge at river basin scale from a system science perspective. Water resources knowledge development in a river basin is defined as a complex system involving the co-evolutionary dynamics of scientific disciplines and management issues. It is found that: 1) centralised and legacy-inclined water resources knowledge structures dominated major river basins in the world; 2) links between water resources knowledge structure and the management issues it addressed are increasingly homogenised; and 3) cross-disciplinary collaborations have remained largely unchanged and collaborations with social sciences have been very limited. In conclusions, the stationarity of the water resources knowledge system persists. A shift of water resources knowledge development to cope with the rapidly changing hydrological systems and associated management issues is urgently needed.