Sustainability in Hydrology and Water Resources Management

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue addresses the urgent need for sustainable practices in hydrology and water resources management amid growing pressures from climate change, population growth, and ecosystem degradation. It aims to explore innovative strategies for water conservation, quality improvement, and ecosystem-based management, as well as cutting-edge tools such as remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics.

While the existing literature has advanced our understanding of hydrological processes and water use, research often remains fragmented, focusing on isolated components rather than integrated, system-level solutions. This Special Issue seeks to bridge these gaps by promoting cross-disciplinary approaches that combine scientific innovation, ecological integrity, and adaptive management. By fostering dialog amongst hydrologists, environmental scientists, and policymakers, it aims to provide new insights into advancing water sustainability and guiding future research toward holistic and practical solutions.

In recent years, increasing environmental pressures and the growing demand for sustainable water use have brought the concept of sustainability in hydrology and water resources management to the forefront of scientific research and policymaking. This field emphasizes the need to balance water availability with ecological integrity, while simultaneously addressing the challenges posed by climate change, population growth, and human activities. At its core, sustainable water resources management seeks to ensure reliable water supply, maintain water quality, and protect aquatic ecosystems through innovative monitoring, modeling, and management strategies.

Despite considerable advances in hydrological science, significant gaps remain in predicting water cycle dynamics under changing climatic and land-use conditions, as well as in integrating ecological, social, and technological considerations into water management frameworks. To address these challenges, researchers, engineers, and practitioners are working across disciplines to develop new methodologies and tools that improve water use efficiency, enhance ecosystem resilience, and mitigate risks such as droughts, floods, and water scarcity.

In this context, we are pleased to invite you to contribute to the Special Issue titled “Sustainability in Hydrology and Water Resources Management”. This Special Issue aims to explore the latest advancements in hydrological processes, sustainable water resource utilization, ecosystem-based approaches, and adaptive management strategies. By fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, we aim to deepen our understanding of how innovative science and technology can promote water sustainability and support a more resilient future.

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

• Integrated strategies and policies for sustainable hydrology and water resource management;
• Advanced hydrological modeling and prediction under climate variability and change;
• Water quality assessment and improvement through innovative technologies;
• Ecohydrological approaches for maintaining aquatic ecosystem health;
• Hydrological processes and greenhouse gases;
• Drought and flood risk assessment, early warning systems, and adaptive management;
• Socioeconomic, governance, and decision-support tools for sustainable water use;
• Remote sensing, big data, and AI applications in hydrological monitoring and water management;
• Assessment of global change impacts and resilience strategies for water systems.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Ruihong Yu
Dr. Heyang Sun
Dr. Xu Yang
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. 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.

• sustainable hydrology
• water resources management
• climate change adaptation
• hydrological modeling and prediction
• ecohydrology and aquatic ecosystems
• greenhouse gases
• drought and flood risk assessment
• remote sensing and AI applications
• resilience and adaptive water management