Floods and droughts research progress and its contributions toward sustainability

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Climate Science
• Water Resource Management

Background:

• The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), launched in 2015, include SDG 6 (clean water & sanitation) and SDG 13 (climate actions).
• East Asia faces significant water resource challenges, particularly concerning climate extremes like droughts and floods.
• Research in the region has historically addressed water quality and wastewater treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze climate extremes (droughts and floods) in East Asia.
• To evaluate the region's contributions to achieving SDGs 6 and 13.
• To identify research trends and key focus areas related to water and climate sustainability.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of publications from the Scopus database.
• Keyword analysis to identify prominent research themes.
• Examination of publication trends and co-cited literature.

Main Results:

• A surge in climate-related studies in East Asia post-2019, aligning with SDG implementation.
• China leads regional publications on climate and water (21%), followed by Japan (4%) and South Korea (3%).
• Research prominently features climate change, water management, water treatment, water quality, and adsorption, with significant focus on drought and flood patterns.

Conclusions:

• East Asia shows a strong commitment to SDGs 6 and 13, with increased research output.
• Despite progress, a more integrated framework is needed to address the complex links between climate action, water, and sanitation.
• Further research should focus on enhancing the sustainable soil-water-plant-atmosphere ecosystem.