Hydrology Annual Report Card 2025

With 2024 marking the tenth anniversary of its establishment, 2025 was the first year of the second decade of Hydrology. The Cite Score and the Impact Factor released in 2025 for the journal, 5.9 and 3.2, respectively, indicate its relatively good standing.

Prior to discussing the achievements and problems of last year, let me express my gratitude to the readers of Hydrology, to whom the journal is dedicated, as well as to all who have contributed to its success, particularly the Section Editors in Chief, Associate Editors, and members of the Editorial Board, along with the Hydrology Editorial Office staff, to whom I offer special thanks for their unwavering support and effective interventions.

I also wish to extend my sincere gratitude once more to all the authors who have opted to publish their works in Hydrology, with the hope that they will continue to honor us in 2026 and in the years to come.

I hope that their contributions will continue to foster dialogue across all disciplines that enhance hydrology as a compelling science, as well as promoting mutual understanding and collaboration among those pursuing new theories and solutions and those implementing the resulting advancements in practical applications to address real-world challenges.

As for the state of the journal, I can confidently say that Hydrology is in good health.

Over the last ten years, Hydrology has achieved its ambitious goals in terms of readers, publications, Cite Score, and Impact Factor.

In 2025, the journal published 346 papers, which is a great improvement on the 216 papers published in 2024.

We have also rewarded young researchers, including with the Best PhD Thesis Award and Travel Award (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/hydrology/awards—accessed on 3 February 2026). We have sponsored several conferences and initiatives, such as EGU, AOGS2025, The 5th China Ecohydrology Forum, and AGU.

Although we are still in Q2 in the “Water Resources” category, we have reached a halfway position among the most important journals of the sector. However, we are still far from the top ranking.

Consequently, I propose that our objective for the upcoming decade should be to transition into Q1 within the “Water Resources” category and to double our scores to enter the highest echelon of prestigious journals in hydrological sciences.

Last year, I urged authors to critically evaluate the impact of newly proposed AI methodologies and the potential benefits of their integration into traditional approaches to prevent compromising the extensive knowledge amassed thus far. I believe we have not achieved this objective, and I wish to emphasize the invitation: while AI methodologies are encouraged, reliance on predominantly data-driven approaches must not overshadow the extensive historical evolution of hydrological sciences and their established theories and equations. It is imperative that we recognize that optimal outcomes in research and decision-making are achieved by integrating existing knowledge with insights derived from observations.

A journal’s success is fundamentally linked to the quality of its published articles, as well as the scientific credibility and respect that it commands. Improvements were made to the Special Issue (SI) acceptance procedures last year, but I believe that the journal would benefit from a more thorough reevaluation of the scopes, format, and requirements for establishing new Special Issues.

To summarize, there is still further work to be carried out in the coming years, and I hope that everyone will agree to work together to ensure the journal’s success. In the meantime, I would like to thank everyone again and wish you all a happy new year filled with hope and success.