Developing the Desalination Resilience Dynamic Index ( DRDI ): A Multidimensional Framework for Assessing Adaptive Water Resilience

ABSTRACT Water scarcity has become a multidimensional sustainability challenge driven by climate change, demographic growth, governance quality and technological adaptation. Although desalination is increasingly recognised as a strategic response to water stress, existing assessment approaches remain fragmented and fail to evaluate its adaptive resilience comprehensively. This study develops the Desalination Resilience Dynamic Index (DRDI), a multidimensional framework integrating technological, economic, institutional and distributive dimensions to assess desalination resilience. The framework is developed through a structured literature review supported by a descriptive bibliometric analysis and operationalised as a transparent composite indicator based on five complementary resilience dimensions. Rather than predicting system performance, the DRDI provides a replicable methodology for comparative assessment and evidence‐based policy analysis. By integrating previously disconnected research streams, the proposed framework advances resilience assessment and offers a practical tool to support sustainable water governance under increasing environmental uncertainty.