Impact of Climate and Land-Use Change on the Earth’s Critical Zone

Dear Colleagues,

It is widely accepted that climate change is causing hydrological alterations in the magnitude and timing of catchment water balance as well as functioning of the terrestrial and riverine ecosystem in many parts of the world. Simultaneously, land use and land cover (LULC) across the globe is also likely to change in response to climatic and socio-economic changes. Although the hydrological effects of climate and LULC change have been studied extensively in isolation, their combined effect on landscape hydrology and ecosystem is not yet fully characterised. An improved understanding of how bi-directional interactions between climate and LULC affect the Earth’s critical zone has the potential to enhance strategies for land and water conservation and/or specific interventions (e.g., active forest management, wetland restoration, aquifer recharge). It will also help towards an understanding of the resilience of landscapes to climate change. In this special issue, we welcome research and synthesis contributions that present latest advances in measurements, analysis, and modelling of the coupled climate-LULC-water system nexus in the critical zone at scales ranging from small headwater catchments to large river basins. Contributions include but are not limited to: dynamic coupling of hydrological and LULC models, multi-scenario hydrological assessment of climate-LULC-water interaction, analysis of historical long-term climate and LULC variations and their impact on the critical zone’s functioning and response, evaluation of land use intervention options to improve the hydrological resilience of landscapes to climate change.

Dr. Sopan Patil
Dr. Mohammad Safeeq
Dr. Riddhi Singh
Guest Editors

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