Integrated Assessment of Livestock Water Scarcity in Santa Catarina, Brazil

Código

V-END_II-EBHE0286

Autores

Fiorina-Marie Telesca, PD Dr. Katrin Drastig, Pedro Luiz Borges Chaffe

Tema

13 - Estiagens e Secas;

Resumo

Livestock production is a key driver of regional water scarcity, making the identification of priority areas essential for effective water management. However, livestock water scarcity hotspot assessments are highly sensitive to methodological choices, including indicator selection and threshold definitions, while often neglecting temporal variability. To address these challenges, this study develops an integrated hotspot assessment framework that accounts for methodological sensitivity while incorporating both spatial and temporal variability of livestock-driven water scarcity. Livestock-related water scarcity is quantified monthly across 80 catchments in Santa Catarina, Brazil, between 1995 and 2024 using two indicators: AWARE-based ?Water Scarcity Footprint? and SDG Indicator 6.4.2 ?Level of Water Stress?. Multiple event thresholds, scarcity gates, and hotspot definitions are considered to account for methodological sensitivity. Subsequently, hotspot stability across methodological definitions, together with indicator overlap and temporal trend analyses, are integrated into a comprehensive hotspot assessment. Results show that hotspot extent and location vary considerably among indicators and methodological definitions. Nevertheless, a small number of catchments consistently emerge as hotspots, demonstrating that stable hotspot patterns can be identified despite substantial methodological sensitivity. The adopted framework moves beyond conventional single-indicator, single-threshold hotspot assessments and provides a more transparent and reliable basis for prioritizing catchments for water management.