A Bibliometric Analysis and Classification of Research on Water Resources Management Based on 17SDGs and ANZSRC Indicators

Water scarcity has become a major global concern due to climate change, excessive use and pollution. Establishing and developing strategies and approaches to manage available water resources is challenging under the current natural and anthropogenic pressures. The present study analyzes the current research trend on Water Resource Management (WRM) by conducting a bibliometric analysis using Vosviewer software (version 1.6.20). The study also analyzes the research categories based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (17SDGs) and the Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC). Based on the two classifications, the sustainable and effective management of water resources at the scientific level requires the integration of interdisciplinary research projects, while at the societal, economic, and strategic levels, the 17 SDGs must all be taken into account when establishing WRM projects. The results of the bibliometric analysis show that the current focus is on climate variability and its impact on food security. China is found to be the hotspot country with the highest number of publications, followed by the United States, while a lack of publications on WRM was found in developing countries that reported suffering from water scarcity and climate impacts. These findings are crucial for future research on WRM as they provide the basic knowledge about research trends in this research field.