Integrating Climate, Land, and Water Systems

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land–Climate Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 614

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Geosystems Research Institute, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39759, USA
Interests: hydrology; water; modeling; GIS; geospatial analysis; climate change; extremes; geospatial frameworks; hydrometeorological processes; surface–atmosphere interactions; earth system modeling; hydrologic applications

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Guest Editor
Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MO 39762, USA
Interests: meteorology; climatology; hydrometeorological processes; surface–atmosphere interactions; earth system modeling; numerical weather and water prediction; surface imaging; uncrewed aerial systems; hydrologic applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management, University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska, 20-718 Lublin, Poland
Interests: hydrology; water; modeling; hydrogeology; geomorphology; land use/land cover changes; temporal and spatial changes in water; climate change; GIS; geospatial analysis; geospatial frameworks

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Cracow University of Technology, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
Interests: applied statistics; hydrological time series; droughts; environmental modeling; statistical methods in hydrology; temporal and spatial variability; nonstationarity detection; river hydrology; geospatial analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advances in Earth system science highlight the significant connections between land, climate, and water systems, emphasizing their dynamic interactions and cascading effects on environmental change. These systems are inherently interconnected, and alterations in one domain often trigger consequences in another. For example, shifts in land use can change local climates and disrupt hydrological cycles; at the same time, climate variability can aggravate land degradation and intensify water stress. Despite growing recognition of these interdependencies, major knowledge gaps still exist, particularly on regional and global levels. These gaps hinder the development of sustainable solutions that find a compromise between environmental preservation, economic growth, and societal requirements. A deeper understanding of the inter-relations between land, water resources, and climate is essential for a sustainable future as global populations increase and climatic impacts become more severe. Innovations in geospatial technologies and data analytics provide novel opportunities to map, track, and model such complex systems, supporting evidence-based decision-making to enhance sustainability and resilience.

The goal of this Special Issue is to gather original research articles and review papers that explore the interconnections between land, climate, and water systems across spatial and temporal scales, offering insights to advance sustainability and resilience goals.

This Special Issue welcomes manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics: to explore how changes in land use and cover influence climate, water resources, and ecosystem services.
  • Climate–Land–Water Interactions: to investigate the relationships between climatic processes, land systems, and water cycles.
  • Sustainability and Resilience Strategies: to develop approaches to balance environmental conservation, resource management, and societal needs across land–climate–water systems.
  • Geospatial Tools and Data Analytics: to apply innovative technologies to monitor, map, and model integrated land, climate, and water systems.

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

Dr. Krzysztof Raczynski
Prof. Dr. Jamie Dyer
Dr. Łukasz Chabudziński
Dr. Katarzyna Baran-Gurgul
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

Keywords

  • land
  • climate
  • water
  • integration
  • system interconnections
  • system dynamics
  • geospatial frameworks
  • interdependencies
  • resilience
  • sustainability

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

24 pages, 16617 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Land Cover Change and Future Hydrological Impacts Under Climate Scenarios in the Amazonian Andes: A Case Study of the Utcubamba River Basin
by Abner S. Rivera-Fernandez, Alexander Cotrina-Sanchez, Rolando Salas López, Jhon A. Zabaleta-Santisteban, Ney Rios, Angel J. Medina-Medina, Katerin M. Tuesta-Trauco, José A. Sánchez-Vega, Teodoro B. Silva-Melendez, Manuel Oliva-Cruz, Cecibel Portocarrero and Elgar Barboza
Land 2025, 14(6), 1234; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14061234 - 7 Jun 2025
Abstract
Understanding how land use and climate change jointly affect water availability is essential for sustainable planning in tropical Andean–Amazonian basins. This study focuses on the Utcubamba River Basin in northeastern Peru, a data-scarce and socioecologically strategic watershed where land transformation and climate variability [...] Read more.
Understanding how land use and climate change jointly affect water availability is essential for sustainable planning in tropical Andean–Amazonian basins. This study focuses on the Utcubamba River Basin in northeastern Peru, a data-scarce and socioecologically strategic watershed where land transformation and climate variability converge. A multi-temporal land use/land cover (LULC) analysis (1990–2024) was conducted, coupled with hydrological modeling using the SWAT model under historical and future climate scenarios (SSP2–4.5 and SSP5–8.5), including the spatial overlay of the LULC change concentration with key hydrological indicators. LULC classifications revealed forest loss and the expansion of pasture, agriculture, and shrubland areas, particularly in the upper basin. Hydrological projections showed significant changes in water flow, including reductions in minimum monthly flows by up to 73.9% and increases in peak flows by 14.8% under the SSP5–8.5 scenario. The water balance is expected to shift, with increased percolation and reduced lateral flow, suggesting decreased storage capacity. By identifying critical sub-basins where land degradation and water insecurity converge, the study supports adaptive strategies for land restoration, aquifer recharge planning, and ecosystem conservation. Despite limited hydrological infrastructure, the SWAT model effectively simulated water dynamics, aiding climate resilience and water security efforts in the Amazonian Andes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Climate, Land, and Water Systems)
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