تحلیل دانش پژوهی حوزه مطالعات بحران آب در ابعاد جهانی: هم رخدادی واژگان مقالات

purpose: The objective of this study is to identify key concepts, research patterns, conceptual clusters, and the knowledge network structure of the water crisis domain on a global scale.
Method: The present research is applied in terms of purpose and has been conducted using a scientometric approach with co-word analysis. This method plays a pivotal role in identifying conceptual relationships between keywords. Additionally, clustering and conceptual networks have been used to organize and visualize these relationships. The study population consists of 23,980 articles collected from the Web of Science (WOS) database between the years 2000 and 2025. For data analysis, techniques such as co-occurrence analysis, K-means clustering, and conceptual network mapping based on centrality measures (degree, betweenness, and closeness) were employed using UCINET, NetDraw, and VOSviewer software.
Findings: The findings of the study revealed that the concepts "water stress," "water," and "drought" had the highest frequency among the examined scientific documents. Furthermore, concepts such as "water scarcity," "water quality," "water pollution," and "climate change" were also significantly repeated in the research literature. According to the results of this study, more than 100 new concepts related to the water crisis have emerged in the past decade.
Clustering results indicate that the water crisis can be categorized into 11 conceptual clusters. The first cluster, with 769 concepts, is the largest and focuses on the topic of drought. The second cluster (570 concepts) centers on water quality, and the third cluster (493 concepts) is dedicated to water resource management. In total, research in this field forms 8 independent clusters. Although the ninth cluster shares some similarities with the third cluster, their differences distinguish them from one another. The tenth and eleventh clusters, with a limited number of concepts, indicate less research focus on these areas.
The conceptual network analysis of this domain was conducted based on 3,005 nodes and 9,450 links. The average network density was 0.0335, with each concept linked to an average of 101 other concepts. According to the "degree centrality" index, the concepts "water" (7,080), "water stress" (6,551), and "drought" (4,027) play the most significant roles. Additionally, concepts such as "water scarcity," "water quality," "water consumption," "water pollution," and "climate change" exhibit high connectivity. The average degree centrality was 101.342 with a standard deviation of 265.340, and the network concentration was 1.461%, indicating a relatively balanced distribution of connections.
Based on the "betweenness centrality" index, the concepts "water" (13.121), "water stress" (9.057), and "drought" (4.847) play a key role in connecting concepts. The overall network concentration was 13.09% with a standard deviation of 0.343. In the "closeness centrality" index, the concepts "water" (69.620), "water stress" (66.005), and "drought" (62.039) showed the highest proximity, while the average for this index was 46.212.
The most significant co-occurrences with link strength include "efficiency–water" (158), "sanitation–water" (129), "water stress–drought" (105), "climate change–water scarcity" (104), and "pollution–water" (98).
Conclusion: The water crisis is a multidimensional and complex concept that requires in-depth examination from various perspectives. This study, through co-word and conceptual network analysis, has explored the knowledge structure of this domain. The findings indicate that key concepts such as "water stress," "drought," "water scarcity," "water quality," and "climate change" form the core of research in this field. Additionally, the emergence of new concepts reflects the dynamism and evolution of this scientific domain in addressing complex challenges such as climate change and the need for sustainable water resource management. These concepts represent the scientific community's efforts to provide effective and practical solutions.
The results of concept clustering show that research in the water crisis domain primarily focuses on central topics such as drought, water quality, and water resource management; however, attention has also been given to emerging and more specialized topics such as the impact of heatwaves and groundwater management. The diversity of conceptual clusters illustrates the inherent complexity of the water crisis and highlights the need for further research, particularly in the areas of environmental sustainability and innovative water technologies, to achieve comprehensive and efficient solutions.
In summary, the water crisis is a multifaceted phenomenon rooted in the complex interplay of human, natural, and climatic factors. This complexity has led to significant growth in related research. However, the findings reveal that the conceptual network of this domain remains somewhat fragmented, with considerable potential for establishing more meaningful connections between concepts and strengthening its theoretical coherence.