From Complexity to Clarity: A Scalable Network Framework for Quantifying Anthropogenic Drought in Flanders

Department of Civil Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Anthropogenic drought increasingly threatens even temperate regions, yet policymakers lack concise, quantitative tools to visualise system interactions and assess intervention effectiveness. This study presents a streamlined network-based workflow that reconciles system complexity with operational clarity. Prior research has highlighted the value of multidimensional network models but produced unwieldy representations due to an abundance of connections and components. This was addressed by optimizing scalability, focusing on key actors and hydrological factors, refining the visualisation strategy, and treating policy measures as contextual modifiers rather than discrete nodes. The simplified network preserves flexibility, permitting higher-resolution detail when data is available, while improving interpretability and computational tractability. The resulting framework is immediately actionable: it empowers water managers to simulate targeted interventions by reweighting connections, and transparently communicate projected impacts to stakeholders. While acknowledging limits imposed by data resolution and the implicit representation of governance dynamics, the approach offers a practical bridge between conceptual complexity and policy application. By combining quantitative rigour, visual clarity and modular extensibility, the method delivers a decision-ready platform for enhancing drought resilience.