Land System Dynamics and Climate-Related Hazards

Dear Colleagues,

Land systems, encompassing the complex interactions between land cover, land use, ecological processes, and human activities, are constantly undergoing dynamic changes. These changes, driven by factors such as urbanization, agricultural expansion, deforestation, and infrastructure development, significantly alter the Earth's surface and its functioning. In a changing climate, these alterations in land system dynamics interact with and exacerbate various environmental hazards. Climate change intensifies extreme weather events, alters hydrological cycles, and contributes to sea-level rise, creating a complex web of interconnected risks. Understanding the intricate relationships between land system dynamics and climate-related hazards is crucial for developing sustainable land management strategies and mitigating the adverse impacts on both human societies and ecosystems.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect original research articles and comprehensive review papers that provide critical insights into the complex interplay between land system dynamics and climate-related hazards. This subject aligns directly with the scope of LAND, which focuses on the interdisciplinary study of land, including its ecological, socio-economic, and management dimensions. This Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of how various forms of land system change influence the occurrence, intensity, and impacts of climate-related hazards, and to explore innovative land management approaches that can enhance resilience and reduce vulnerability.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

• Impacts of land use change on hydrological hazards: Studies investigating how land cover conversion (e.g., deforestation or urbanization) and agricultural intensification affect flood risks, drought occurrence, and altered water flow regimes.
• Land degradation and climate-related hazards: Research exploring the connections between land degradation processes (e.g., soil erosion or desertification) and hazards such as landslides, dust storms, and reduced agricultural productivity under changing climate conditions.
• Landscape fragmentation and ecological resilience to climate change: Analyses examining how the fragmentation of natural habitats alters the ability of ecosystems to withstand and recover from climate-related disturbances like heat waves, altered precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events.
• Remote sensing and modeling of land system dynamics and hazards: Methodological advancements in using remote sensing, GIS, and integrated models to assess, map, and predict the impacts of changing land systems on various climate-related hazards.
• Land management strategies for climate risk reduction: Studies evaluating the effectiveness of different land management practices (e.g., sustainable agriculture, reforestation, and urban greening) in mitigating climate-related hazards and promoting resilient landscapes.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Anam Ashraf
Dr. Sheikh Saeed Ahmad
Dr. Muhammad Israr
Dr. Todd Robinson
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.