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Global Hydrological Studies and Ecological Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 January 2025 | Viewed by 1948

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Hydrobiology and Protection of Ecosystems, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-262 Lublin, Poland
Interests: cyanobacterial blooms and toxicity; ecology of phytoplankton and phytobenthos of freshwaters
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Both hydrology and the water cycle are driving forces, shaping ecosystems worldwide. However, due to natural processes and human pressure, cycle disruptions are observed more and more frequently. Deforestation, irrigation, and changes in precipitation (prolonged dry periods and/or torrential rains) are destructive to ecosystems, as are extreme events in the water cycle like droughts and floods, which are expected more frequently. Alterations of precipitation volume and structure bring about a groundwater recharge decrease, as well as deep streamflow droughts, which can lead to ecological catastrophes. Since the world's aquatic and land environments are changing rapidly and facing unprecedented pressures, ecological watershed management research should focus on the integrity of the ecosystem and maintaining sustainability. 

Human activity is believed to be the main cause of climate change and the observed loss of biodiversity on a local and global scale. The human impact on the environment harms the functions of aquatic and land ecosystems, resulting in a deterioration of the quality of ecosystem services. Therefore, ecosystems still require the identification of ecological problems, proper protection, restoration, and sustainable management.

This Special Issue aims to (a) define hydrological processes and other processes that can influence the quality of both aquatic and land ecosystems, (b) identify the current problems in hydrology, as well as its role in maintaining ecological integrity, (c) maintain or restore the structures, processes, and functions of ecosystems, (d) describe ecological problems and propose solutions (both practical and theoretical) in light of ecological sustainability. These subjects relate to the journal's scope since they provide an advanced forum for studies relating to sustainability and sustainable development.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews focusing on challenges relating to sustainability in the field of hydrological studies and ecological sustainability are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Water cycle and its disruption.
  • Water demand.
  • Modeling of hydrological changes.
  • Extreme hydrological events.
  • Functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
  • Ecological sustainability.
  • Assessment, mapping, and valuation of ecosystem services.
  • Biodiversity loss and restoration.
  • Integrated ecosystem monitoring.

We eagerly await your contributions.

Dr. Magdalena Toporowska
Dr. Beata Ferencz
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. 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

  • water resources
  • water cycle
  • watershed sustainability
  • climate change
  • human pressure
  • resilience and vulnerability
  • ecosystem functioning
  • ecosystem services
  • sustainable ecosystem management

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 4291 KiB  
Article
The Impacts of Dams on Streamflow in Tributaries to the Lower Mekong Basin
by Romduol Khoeun, Ratha Sor, Kimsan Chann, Sophea Rom Phy, Chantha Oeurng and Ty Sok
Sustainability 2024, 16(15), 6700; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156700 - 5 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1616
Abstract
The Lower Mekong Basin has had extensive hydropower dam development, which changes its hydrologic conditions and threatens the exceptional aquatic biodiversity. This study quantifies the degree of hydrologic change between pre-impact (1965–1968) and post-impact (2018–2021) peak hydropower development in two major tributaries of [...] Read more.
The Lower Mekong Basin has had extensive hydropower dam development, which changes its hydrologic conditions and threatens the exceptional aquatic biodiversity. This study quantifies the degree of hydrologic change between pre-impact (1965–1968) and post-impact (2018–2021) peak hydropower development in two major tributaries of the Lower Mekong Basin—the Sekong River, with the fewest dams, and the Sesan River, with the most dams. Both rivers have historically supported migratory fishes. We used daily pre- and post-impact data and the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration framework to evaluate streamflow changes from dam development. We found significant changes in low- and high-magnitude flows in the pre- and post-impact periods of dam development. For the Sekong River, minimum flow had large fluctuations, with increases of 290% to 412% compared to the pre-impact period, while the Sesan River’s minimum flow ranged from 120% to 160% more than pre-impact. Dry season flows increased by 200 ± 63% on average in the Sekong River, which was caused by releases from upstream dams. Meanwhile, the Sesan River’s dry season flows increased by 100 ± 55% on average. This study indicates that seasonal flow changes and extreme flow events occurred more frequently in the two basins following dam construction, which may threaten the ecosystem’s function. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Hydrological Studies and Ecological Sustainability)
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