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Sustainable Water Management in the Face of Climate Change and Water Scarcity

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Water Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2025 | Viewed by 5975

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Theodoros Giakoumis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Division of Environmental Sciences, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
2. Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Interests: integrated water resources management; water pollution; resilience; water policy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is presently altering the global water cycle, which, in turn, has a significant impact on the world’s freshwater systems and water security. This alteration manifests in unpredictable precipitation patterns and a rise in both the frequency and severity of water-related hazards, such as floods and droughts. In addition, climate change exacerbates water scarcity, which is caused by poor water management practices, pollution, and over-consumption.

As a result, in many areas of the world, water consumption exceeds its replenishment rates, leading to the desiccation of rivers, the depletion of groundwater resources, and the degradation of dependent ecosystems and the services they provide. Water insecurity intensifies competition for access to water, hampers economic growth and development, and leads to instability and conflicts. Such conditions amplify other risks, such as food insecurity, migration, and environmental degradation, creating negative feedback loops. Moreover, extreme weather events reveal vulnerabilities in global urban infrastructure, particularly in water, wastewater, and drainage systems that are operating at or over their design capacity.

In the face of climate change and water scarcity, sustainable water management is a holistic strategy to address these interconnected challenges, balancing freshwater supplies with demands in a way that ensures that current and future generations have access to water of sufficient quantity and quality. It incorporates environmental, economic, and social dimensions to achieve long-term water security.

This Special Issue thus aims to develop sustainable water management strategies to mitigate climate change impacts on global water security, focusing on innovative solutions for resilient freshwater systems, infrastructures, and communities.

We welcome research and review paper submissions that focus on, but are not limited to, the following areas:

  1. Advancements in water conservation technologies;
  2. Water governance and policy developments;
  3. The resilience of urban water, wastewater, and drainage systems to climate change;
  4. Economic insights in sustainable water management;
  5. Equity and access in sustainable water resources;
  6. Participatory water management;
  7. Risk management and adaptation in water systems;
  8. Sustainable agricultural practices for water efficiency;
  9. Waterbody chemical and ecological status;
  10. Decision support tools;
  11. Nature-based solutions.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Theodoros Giakoumis
Guest Editor

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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • sustainable water management
  • climate change
  • water scarcity
  • integrated water resources management (IWRM)
  • hydrological modelling
  • decision support tools
  • sustainable development goals (SDGs)
  • freshwater systems
  • water policy and governance
  • infrastructure

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1402 KiB  
Article
Regional Water Footprint for a Medium-Size City in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona: Gavà
by Iago Ferreiro-Crespo, Pedro Villanueva-Rey, Mario Ruiz, Yago Lorenzo-Toja and Gumersindo Feijoo
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 2302; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052302 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 848
Abstract
Assessing water demand is essential for urban planning, aligning with socio-economic and climatic needs. The territorial water footprint identifies water requirements across sectors and detects sources of consumption. This aids in mitigating impacts and evaluating alternative water sources like reclaimed water. In Gavà, [...] Read more.
Assessing water demand is essential for urban planning, aligning with socio-economic and climatic needs. The territorial water footprint identifies water requirements across sectors and detects sources of consumption. This aids in mitigating impacts and evaluating alternative water sources like reclaimed water. In Gavà, water impacts were assessed for residential, commercial, municipal, tourism, industrial, agricultural, and livestock sectors. The total water footprint is 6,458,118 m3, comprising 3,293,589 m3 from blue water, 2,250,849 m3 from green water, and 913,680 m3 from grey water. Agriculture (54.2%), residential (30.9%), and industrial activities (5.8%) are the main water footprint contributors. A key methodological advancement of this study is the refinement of grey water footprint calculations for livestock facilities within the RWF framework, allowing for a more precise assessment of their environmental impact. Integrating geographic information systems with land use mapping helps localize impacts, detect hotspots, and identify infrastructure improvement opportunities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Water Management in the Face of Climate Change and Water Scarcity)
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19 pages, 931 KiB  
Article
Environmental Awareness and Moral Commitment in Water Usage in Gastronomy SMEs
by Ángel Acevedo-Duque, Jessica Müller-Pérez, Rina Alvarez-Becerra, Elena Cachicatari-Vargas, Mirtha Mercedes Fernández-Mantilla, Irene Merino Flores and Irma Yomara Verges
Sustainability 2025, 17(4), 1379; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17041379 - 8 Feb 2025
Viewed by 856
Abstract
In recent years, awareness of the sustainable use of water has grown across various industries, including the gastronomic sector. This study aimed to examine the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on environmental awareness, moral commitment, corporate image, and the intention of employees [...] Read more.
In recent years, awareness of the sustainable use of water has grown across various industries, including the gastronomic sector. This study aimed to examine the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on environmental awareness, moral commitment, corporate image, and the intention of employees from gastronomic SMEs to responsibly manage water usage. To achieve this objective, 354 surveys were conducted with employees from restaurants in Santiago, Chile, and a PLS-SEM model was utilized for data analysis. The results revealed that CSR had a significant impact on ecological awareness and the intention to conserve water. These findings highlight the critical role entrepreneurs and their employees play in water conservation, as they are directly involved in the management of this vital resource. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Water Management in the Face of Climate Change and Water Scarcity)
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22 pages, 24106 KiB  
Article
An Automated Method to Assess the Suitability of Existing Boreholes for Solar-Based Pumping Systems: An Application to Southern Madagascar
by Fabio Fussi, Víctor Gómez-Escalonilla, Jean-Jacques Rahobisoa, Hariliva Omena Anahy Ramanantsoa and Pedro Martinez-Santos
Sustainability 2025, 17(3), 1255; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17031255 - 4 Feb 2025
Viewed by 826
Abstract
Groundwater provides a strategic resource in the face of uncertain climate conditions in arid and semi-arid regions. Solar-based groundwater pumping is quickly gaining ground across rural sub-Saharan Africa, promoted by national and international organizations as the new technology of choice for water supply [...] Read more.
Groundwater provides a strategic resource in the face of uncertain climate conditions in arid and semi-arid regions. Solar-based groundwater pumping is quickly gaining ground across rural sub-Saharan Africa, promoted by national and international organizations as the new technology of choice for water supply and irrigation. A crucial question in large-scale developments is whether pre-existing boreholes can be fitted with solar pumps. Based on data from southern Madagascar, this paper provides an automated method to deal with this. Our approach relies on a combination of hydrogeological criteria, including well screen depth, drawdown in relation to the static water column, and pumping efficiency. The results show that 60% of the existing boreholes in the study region are potentially suitable for the installation of solar pumps. Out of these, 54% would be able to supply water to large rural communities (>1000 people), whereas the remaining 46% present the potential to provide water to medium communities (500 to 1000 people). There are, however, concerns as to whether the information contained in the dataset is fully representative of current borehole conditions. Furthermore, the potential for installation of solar-based supplies must be placed in the context of the available resources and local capacities in order to ensure future sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Water Management in the Face of Climate Change and Water Scarcity)
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21 pages, 6868 KiB  
Article
Impact Assessment of Socio-Economic Scenarios on a Water Quality Swale: An Exploratory Analysis with WinSLAMM
by Sujit A. Ekka, Jon M. Hathaway and William F. Hunt
Sustainability 2024, 16(24), 10857; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162410857 - 11 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1016
Abstract
Sustainable long-term performance of water quality swales, a common stormwater control measure (SCM), requires a futuristic view that considers the impact of socio-economic conditions. The impact of five socio-economic scenarios on a water quality swale in Knightdale, North Carolina, USA, was assessed using [...] Read more.
Sustainable long-term performance of water quality swales, a common stormwater control measure (SCM), requires a futuristic view that considers the impact of socio-economic conditions. The impact of five socio-economic scenarios on a water quality swale in Knightdale, North Carolina, USA, was assessed using WinSLAMM, a stormwater quality model. Scenarios included changing annual average daily traffic (AADT) and maintenance regimes mimicking environmental protection and degradation. Statistical performance evaluation criteria (e.g., RMSE, R2) were used to assess model suitability and calibration for runoff volume and sediment. Results indicated that sediment delivery to the swale increased with AADT, and reduced maintenance negatively impacted swale performance. While the reduced AADT during the COVID-19 pandemic provided short-term water quality benefits, a lack of maintenance impacted treatment through the swale. SCM inspection and maintenance is critical for accommodating increased AADT and enhancing swale life-cycle. This exploratory impact assessment focused on the socio-economic axis of climate change scenario framework and underscored the importance of sound environmental policies for sustainable swale performance. Future studies are needed in other areas to influence local environmental policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Water Management in the Face of Climate Change and Water Scarcity)
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21 pages, 11739 KiB  
Article
Land Cover and Spatial Distribution of Surface Water Loss Hotspots in Italy
by Irene Palazzoli, Gianluca Lelli and Serena Ceola
Sustainability 2024, 16(18), 8021; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16188021 - 13 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1368
Abstract
Increasing water withdrawals and changes in land cover/use are critically altering surface water bodies, often causing a noticeable reduction in their area. Such anthropogenic modification of surface waters needs to be thoroughly examined to recognize the dynamics through which humans affect the loss [...] Read more.
Increasing water withdrawals and changes in land cover/use are critically altering surface water bodies, often causing a noticeable reduction in their area. Such anthropogenic modification of surface waters needs to be thoroughly examined to recognize the dynamics through which humans affect the loss of surface water. By leveraging remotely-sensed data and employing a distance–decay model, we investigate the loss of surface water resources that occurred in Italy between 1984 and 2021 and explore its association with land cover change and potential human pressure. In particular, we first estimate the land cover conversion across locations experiencing surface water loss. Next, we identify and analytically model the influence of irrigated and built-up areas, which heavily rely on surface waters, on the spatial distribution of surface water losses across river basin districts and river basins in Italy. Our results reveal that surface water losses are mainly located in northern Italy, where they have been primarily replaced by cropland and vegetation. As expected, we find that surface water losses tend to be more concentrated in the proximity of both irrigated and built-up areas yet showing differences in their spatial occurrence and extent. These observed spatial patterns are well captured by our analytical model, which outlines the predominant role of irrigated areas, mainly across northern Italy and Sicily, and more dominant effects of built-up areas across the Apennines and in Sardinia. By highlighting land cover patterns following the loss of surface water and evaluating the relative distribution of surface water losses with respect to areas of human pressure, our analysis provides key information that could support water management and prevent future conditions of water scarcity due to unsustainable water exploitation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Water Management in the Face of Climate Change and Water Scarcity)
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