Sustainable Water Resources Management: Strategies for Hydrology and the River Systems

Dear Colleagues,

The management of water resources represents one of the most critical environmental challenges of the 21st century, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where competing demands from agriculture, industry, and growing populations intensify pressure on limited supplies. River systems serve as lifelines for human civilization, yet they face unprecedented threats from climate change, over-extraction, pollution, and unsustainable management practices. The integration of hydrology with river system dynamics is essential for understanding water availability, quality, and distribution patterns that underpin ecosystem health and human well-being.

Recent advances in remote sensing, hydrological modeling, geospatial analysis, and environmental geochemistry have opened new avenues for comprehensive water resource assessment and sustainable management. Understanding hydrochemical processes, sediment transport, groundwater-surface water interactions, and the impacts of anthropogenic activities on river basins is crucial for developing effective water policies and conservation strategies. This research area is particularly significant in transboundary river basins where hydropolitical complexities intersect with environmental concerns, demanding integrated approaches that balance ecological integrity with socioeconomic development.

Aim of the Special Issue

This Special Issue aims to advance the scientific understanding of sustainable water resource management with emphasis on hydrological processes and river system dynamics. It seeks to provide a platform for interdisciplinary research that integrates physical, chemical, biological, and socio-economic dimensions of water management. This Issue aligns with the journal's scope by addressing critical challenges in water security, ecosystem conservation, climate adaptation, and the development of innovative solutions for water resource management in both developed and developing regions.

Suggested Themes

In this Special Issue, original research articles and comprehensive reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• Hydrological modeling and river basin management: surface and groundwater hydrology, hydrological extremes (floods and droughts), and river discharge dynamics.
• Water quality and hydrochemistry: hydrochemical characterization of river systems, pollution assessment, sediment geochemistry, and water-quality monitoring.
• Climate change’s impact on water resources: climate variability’s effects on river flows, adaptation strategies, and future water availability projections.
• Integrated water resource management (IWRM): multi-stakeholder approaches, transboundary water governance, and hydropolitical challenges.
• Remote sensing and GIS applications: satellite-based water resource monitoring, spatial analysis, and hydrological data integration.
• Sustainable water solutions: desalination technologies, wastewater reuse, rainwater harvesting, artificial aquifer recharge, and nature-based solutions.
• Arid and semi-arid region water management: desert hydrology, saline soil management, irrigation water quality, and ecosystem services.
• River restoration and ecological conservation: riparian zone management, aquatic ecosystem health, and biodiversity preservation.
• Risk assessment and water security: environmental impact assessments, water scarcity mitigation, and resilience planning.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Fares Howari
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• sustainable water management
• river hydrology
• hydrochemistry
• water resource planning
• climate change adaptation
• remote sensing applications
• transboundary water governance
• water quality assessment
• arid regions hydrology
• integrated water management