Conceptualizing turbidity for aquatic ecosystems in the context of sustainable development goals

Abstract

Understanding water quality is important to assess water security including the health of the society and the nation. Turbidity is one of the critical parameters to assess the quality of water in aquatic ecosystems. It can affect various eco-hydrological processes, directly or indirectly. The objectives of the current study were to (a) conceptualize turbidity based on the available literature through system-level thinking to synthesize the eco-hydrological processes, (b) understand the relationship between turbidity, processes and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and (c) apply the conceptual model to turbidity data obtained from the Reedy River Watershed in South Carolina, USA. The application would improve the understanding of the stakeholders in making informed decisions to manage turbidity. The developed conceptual model identified drivers of turbidity in SDGs 2, 7, 11, 13, 14 and 15 and identified impacts of turbidity in SDGs 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14 and 15. This model was applied to hysteresis and cumulative frequency analysis to identify several key watershed processes that impacted turbidity. The sites that were analyzed in general indicated negative hysteresis. On one occasion, one of the sites marked positive hysteresis. Generally, in urban areas, with a higher percentage of imperviousness, there is an exhaustion of sediment, which could be one explanation for negative hysteresis. Cumulative frequency plots indicated that larger storms caused the majority of sediment and exceeded the limit 10–15% of the time. While the steps of conceptualizing turbidity can be universally applied to all locations, the specific goals and targets identified in this analysis may vary depending on the chosen location. The processes adopted in this framework help in understanding various environmental implications of turbidity. These types of analysis will be of importance for water resources managers to obtain a comprehensive overview of sustainable watershed management, which in turn will contribute to achieving the UN SDGs.