Isotopic and Geochemical Approaches for Groundwater Assessment and Management
A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydrogeology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 55
Special Issue Editors
Interests: hydro-geology; isotope hydrology; hydro-geochemistry; water resource management; social hydrology
Interests: circular economy; wastewater recycling; food waste recycling and plastic waste recycling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Groundwater plays a pivotal role in sustaining ecosystem services, acting as a critical source of water for domestic use, agriculture, and industry, while also supporting baseflow in rivers, wetlands, and other ecological habitats. However, in recent decades, excessive extraction combined with diverse anthropogenic activities—such as unregulated pumping, industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and urban expansion—has resulted in significant degradation of both the quantity and quality of groundwater resources. This dual challenge threatens not only water security but also the ecological balance of the regions dependent on these subsurface reserves.
For sustainable groundwater resource management, it is imperative to develop a thorough understanding of the hydro-geochemical evolution of aquifer systems, as well as the recharge and discharge mechanisms that control their dynamics. In this context, hydro-geochemical and isotopic investigations—encompassing both stable and radioactive isotopes—have emerged as indispensable tools for integrated watershed research and management.
Isotopic techniques are particularly valuable in tracing the source and pathways of groundwater recharge, differentiating between modern and fossil water, and identifying the origins of contamination. They provide a time-integrated perspective on water movement and interactions within the hydrological cycle. Similarly, spatio-temporal hydro-geochemical analyses can reveal the types, sources, and concentrations of contaminants, alongside the natural geochemical processes influencing water chemistry. When applied together, these approaches offer a comprehensive understanding of groundwater evolution mechanisms, from recharge to eventual discharge, while quantifying the extent and drivers of degradation.
Furthermore, this framework is incomplete without considering the socio-hydrological dimension—the interactions between human activities, water availability, and management decisions. By integrating isotope and hydro-geochemical tools with socio-hydrological research, it becomes possible to formulate evidence-based policies and sustainable groundwater management plans that address both ecological needs and community priorities. Such an approach ensures that groundwater conservation strategies are scientifically robust, socially acceptable, and adaptable to changing climatic and socio-economic conditions.
In essence, coupling advanced scientific diagnostics with socio-hydrological insights creates a pathway toward resilient and sustainable groundwater governance, safeguarding both the natural environment and human well-being for generations to come.
Dr. Neeraj Pant
Dr. Dharmappa Hagare
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. Water 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 2600 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
- hydrogeochemcial investigations
- groundwater contaminations
- isotope hydrology
- groundwater evolution
- social hydrology
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
