Falkenmark

Falkenmark is a Swedish surname. It is found in Sweden and among people of Swedish heritage, and like many Nordic surnames it reflects a combination of elements that are common in toponyms and family names in the region. The name is most widely recognized in connection with a concept in water resource science known as the Falkenmark indicator.

The Falkenmark indicator, or Falkenmark water stress indicator, is a metric used to assess national or regional water availability on a per-capita basis. It quantifies renewable freshwater resources available to each person per year and classifies water availability into broad categories. Typically, values above about 1,700 cubic meters per person per year indicate relatively ample water, 1,000 to 1,700 m3/year per person denote water stress, and below 1,000 m3/year per person indicate water scarcity. The indicator has been widely cited in environmental science, development planning, and policy discussions as a simple, first-pass tool for comparing water resources across regions and over time.

Limitations of the Falkenmark indicator include its neglect of seasonal and spatial distribution of water, infrastructure and institutional factors, and socio-economic needs. It provides a coarse, aggregate view and is often used in conjunction with other indicators to inform water management and planning. Despite criticisms, the Falkenmark approach remains a foundational concept in the study of global and regional water scarcity.