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Sustainable Urban Planning: Management and Uses of Water from a Historical Perspective

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2025) | Viewed by 1423

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Applied Economic Analysis, University of Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
Interests: economic history; urban planning; water resources management; drought and scarcity mitigation; local budgets; econometric applied analysis; sustainable development
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable urban planning related to water and its uses is crucial in supporting global and local development addressed from a holistic perspective including long-term analysis. Population growth is affected by long cycles of economic activity, which, together with well-being levels, both determine water consumption. Currently, we regard water as a basic resource for human life, which must be managed as a scarce commodity with increasing value to cope with the most important and urgent challenges such as environmental protection, the maintenance of its quality and quantity, as well as territorial conflicts; therefore, it is in the common interest to ensure its sustainable development in an increasingly urban world.

This Special Issue aims to extend the current body of knowledge by presenting the latest integral insights in the field of sustainable urban planning according to management and the uses of water from a historical perspective. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following, considering long-term perspectives:

  • Economy, land use policies, and the legal regime of land and water;
  • Water supply to cities, agriculture, industry, or other uses;
  • Heritage, architecture, engineering, and hydraulic structures;
  • Surface, groundwater, and non-conventional resources.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Patricia Fernández-Aracil
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • land use
  • water management
  • economy
  • heritage
  • history

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 4683 KiB  
Article
Economic and Sustainability Assessment of Floating Photovoltaic Systems in Irrigation Ponds: A Case Study from Alicante (Spain)
by María Inmaculada López-Ortiz, Joaquín Melgarejo-Moreno and José Alberto Redondo-Orts
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 6212; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17136212 - 7 Jul 2025
Viewed by 454
Abstract
Environmental problems, along with the increasing energy demand and high electricity costs in the agricultural sector, justify the need to explore renewable energy sources in order to improve irrigation efficiency and sustainability. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyse the feasibility [...] Read more.
Environmental problems, along with the increasing energy demand and high electricity costs in the agricultural sector, justify the need to explore renewable energy sources in order to improve irrigation efficiency and sustainability. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyse the feasibility of installing floating photovoltaic panels in the irrigation ponds of irrigation communities (ICs) in the province of Alicante. To this end, a practical case study based on the operating data of a photovoltaic installation on an irrigation pond, which shows 31% self-consumption and a 27% reduction in energy costs, is presented. Based on these results, this type of installation has been considered for the rest of the ponds in the province of Alicante, with an estimated total investment of EUR 130 million and annual savings of EUR 23 million in energy costs. Additionally, barriers such as the initial investment and the need for public financing for large-scale implementation are identified. Finally, it is concluded that the adoption of floating photovoltaic energy represents a key opportunity to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, mitigate environmental impact, and promote the circular economy in the agricultural sector. Full article
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25 pages, 2036 KiB  
Article
Integrated Management, Circular Economy and Reclaimed Water: Keys to Restoring the Long-Term Water Balance in La Marina Alta (Alicante, Spain)
by César Sánchez-Pérez and María-Inmaculada López-Ortiz
Sustainability 2025, 17(12), 5512; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125512 - 15 Jun 2025
Viewed by 484
Abstract
This research is focused on water governance problems in La Marina Alta District, in the province of Alicante (southeastern Spain). The district has a public management body, Consorcio de Abastecimiento y Saneamiento de Aguas de los Municipios de La Marina Alta (CASAMA), which [...] Read more.
This research is focused on water governance problems in La Marina Alta District, in the province of Alicante (southeastern Spain). The district has a public management body, Consorcio de Abastecimiento y Saneamiento de Aguas de los Municipios de La Marina Alta (CASAMA), which has been inoperative since its creation in 1987. Although La Marina Alta has sufficient water resources in situations of hydrological normality, they are significantly affected by the impacts of climate change, insufficient water treatment technology and the absence of storage and regulation infrastructure. As a consequence, periods of scarcity and overexploitation of aquifers, together with high-demand situations, have generated scenarios of a lack of drinking water with reputational damage and uncertainty for the future of agricultural operations. Thus, the aim of this work is to propose the adoption of integrated water resource management strategies that will increase the resilience of this sub-basin in La Marina Alta. To this end, the contribution of new non-conventional resources to the water pool, combined with an efficient network of infrastructure, and all this supported by effective governance structures, would be essential to achieve a sustainable balance between demand and supply, preserving the environmental values of the territory. Full article
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