Evaluation of sustainable development capacity of water sources: a case study of China

The issue of water scarcity has drawn attention from all over the world. The coordination of the interaction between ecological and environmental development of water sources and socio-economic development is currently an essential issue that needs to be solved in order to safeguard the water resources environment for human survival. In this essay, we suggest a paradigm for assessing the sustainable exploitation of water resources. First, three ecological, economic, and social factors are investigated. Twenty essential evaluation indexes are then constructed using the Delphi approach, along with an index system for assessing the potential of water sources for sustainable development. The weights of each evaluation index were then determined using the combination assignment approach, which was then suggested. The coupled degree evaluation model of the capability for sustainable development of water sources was then developed. In order to confirm the viability and validity of the suggested model, the model was used to assess the Liwu River water source's capacity for sustainable growth in the context of the South-North Water Transfer in Shandong, China. It is believed that the aforementioned study would serve as a helpful resource when evaluating the capacity of water sources for sustainable development. HIGHLIGHTS Proposes a novel coupled coordination degree evaluation model for water source sustainability, expanding upon traditional methods to offer a comprehensive understanding of sustainable development status, aiding in strategic planning.; Introduces an improved weight determination method using the coefficient of variation combined with the combination assignment approach, enhancing the precision and reliability of sustainability evaluations by mitigating outlier effects.; Establishes a comprehensive evaluation index system from ecological, economic, and social perspectives, providing a holistic framework for assessing water source sustainability, serving as a reference for future sustainable development efforts.;