The Effects of Global Anthropogenic Trends on Ecosystems

Dear Colleagues,

The current era is characterized by several anthropogenic trends that are posing serious threats to productive ecosystems and human safety, also increasing pollution. The purpose of this Special Issue is to focus on three of these megatrends and how they relate to pollution.

The first is climate change, for example, the extensive and intense rainfall variations that have struck the world over the last few years. Indeed, floods can cause the spreading of biological or chemical contaminants, while droughts can lead to the aerial transport of pollutants through dust storms.

The second trend is the proliferation of military tensions that have affected the world over the last few years, starting from Eurasia. Previous studies have already highlighted the prolonged environmental and health consequences of conflicts (e.g., Vietnam War, Balkan War).

The urban expansion represents the third growing phenomenon that, if not adequately organized, can negatively impact the environment and human population. 

It is noteworthy that, in low- and lower-middle-income countries, the situation can be more problematic, where the absence or the inappropriateness of services (e.g., proper drainage or solid waste management systems) represent typical constraints that can worsen the impact.

In this Special Issue, we invite submissions of original research or review papers. Focusing on three megatrends (i.e., military conflicts, climate change, urban expansion) and how they can pollute ecosystems, examples of topics that could be addressed include: new research methodologies; soil and water remediation technologies; context analysis; pollution detection and monitoring; appropriate governance approaches; climate change and increasing pollution; impact on agricultural or marine ecosystems; health risk assessment; ecotoxicology; and epidemiological studies.

Dr. Giovanni Vinti
Dr. Francesca Villa
Dr. Vladimiro Andrea Boselli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• pollution
• climate change
• military conflicts
• urban expansion
• remediation technologies
• health risk
• waste