Sustainable Water Resource Management in a Changing Climate

Dear Colleagues,

Anthropogenic climate change is an inevitable reality that is increasingly affecting more people around the globe at an alarming rate. Local and regional precipitation patterns have changed and will continue to do so, decreasing the reliability and predictability of water resources. As humanity heavily relies on water for agriculture and manufacturing, as well as energy production and for domestic use, there is a greater need to adapt to the new reality of a changing climate. An increasing shift from green to blue water consumption, as a result of a scarcity in the quantity and seasonal distribution of rain water, has increased the economic and environmental cost of production, often making it unprofitable in the long run. Furthermore, the cost is mostly carried by the producer rather than the consumer, leading to greater pressure on often scarce local resources. Traditional crop production may become less viable and no longer be sustainable, unless new means of water resource management are introduced or alternative crops are planted. These factors lead to the need for better technological solutions to changes in water availability, as well as a re-evaluation of societal and cultural interactions with limited water resources.

The Special Issue, therefore, concentrates on the sustainable management of water resources in light of ongoing climate change, from a technological, agricultural, economic, and societal perspective. We welcome papers that are related, but not limited, to any of the following topics:

• Water footprints and the value of water
• Water management for sustainable agriculture
• Technological solutions to the management of scarce water resources
• The social impact of changes in water availability
• Cultural adaptations in water resource management to a changing climate
• Sustainable domestic water usage

Dr. Gunnar Mallon
Dr. Erik W. Meijles
Guest Editor

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