Assessment of Sustainable Indicators for Drinking Water Management in Slovenian Municipalities
Keywords:
sustainability, drinking water management, indicators, municipalities, public utility services of drinking water supply, assessment framework DPSIRAbstract
Research Question (RQ): Drinking water management is becoming an increasingly challenging, sustainable management of this natural resource can be judged using appropriate indicators. The research question is with which indicators it is possible to measure the sustainability of the management of the public utility service of drinking water supply in major Slovenian municipalities.
Purpose: For this purpose we have developed a composite index of sustainable drinking water management, which includes indicators with the environmental, economic, social and institutional dimension of sustainable development.
Method: Qualitative research included a review of professional and scientific literature and a comparative analysis of foreign authors' articles and researches and studies carried out. In the research we used the method of comparing, summarizing, compilation and qualitative analysis.
Results: The results of the survey are useful for municipalities, operators of drinking water utilities, decision makers in sectoral policy, policy makers, non-governmental organizations, professional and general public. Municipalities can be easily acquainted with the situation and consequently with responsibility, with the necessary supervision and strategic direction of drinking water management. On the basis of the results, public utility service providers of drinking water supply can focus on identifying important environmental impacts and responses, and consequently on those natural resources that can be maintained in a sustainable way through sustainable management..
Organization: The results of the survey are useful for municipalities, operators of public drinking water supply service, decision makers in sectoral policy, decision makers, non-governmental organizations, professional and general public. Municipalities can be easily acquainted with the situation and consequently with responsibility, with the necessary supervision and strategic direction of drinking water management. On the basis of the results, public utility service providers of drinking water supply can focus on identifying important environmental impacts and responses, and thus on those natural resources that can be maintained in a sustainable way through sustainable management.
Society: The results of the research are useable by the general public, since area of drinking water management is inextricably linked with the whole society and with each individual.
Originality: A set of indicators in the context of a composite index of sustainable drinking water management.
Limitations / further research: The research is concentrated on Slovenian municipalities, but the same research could be done with the providers of drinking water supply as well.
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