The Impact of Human Activities on Groundwater Resources in Arid and Semi-arid Regions
A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydrology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 1264
Special Issue Editors
Interests: groundwater; numerical model; hydrology; vadose zone; eco-hydrology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: hydrogeology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Groundwater is an extremely valuable freshwater resource in the natural world, playing a crucial role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems and supporting the development of human society's economy. However, as populations surge and industrial and agricultural activities expand rapidly, human utilization of groundwater resources has intensified, leading to impacts that are mainly reflected in two areas: a decrease in quantity and a deterioration in quality. In terms of quantity, the over-extraction of groundwater is the most direct impact. The continuous growth in demand for agricultural irrigation, industrial water, and urban supplies has led to a consistent decline in groundwater levels. Excessive pumping, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, has not only made groundwater resources increasingly scarce but has also triggered a series of geological and environmental issues such as land subsidence and the drying up of springs. In terms of quality, the pollution of groundwater is worsening. The discharge of industrial wastewater and excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides in fields have led to chemical or microbiological contamination of groundwater. Additionally, unreasonable land use and changes in land cover can affect the natural replenishment and flow pathways of groundwater, further threatening the quality and sustainability of water resources. The interaction between human activities and groundwater resources is complex and multifaceted, with many problems remaining unresolved. We are organizing this Special Issue to call on colleagues to study the impact of human activites on groundwater resources in arid and semi-arid regions from various perspctives, using a range of methods and technologies, and make contributions to the systematic understanding of the response of hydrological processes to human activities.
Dr. Zaiyong Zhang
Dr. Yuli Wang
Prof. Dr. Yue Liang
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
- human activities
- groundwater
- arid and semi-arid regions
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.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
