The Impact of Climate Change on Water Erosion

Dear Colleagues,

Water erosion, the process by which rainfall and runoff detach and transport soil particles, represents one of the most pervasive forms of land degradation worldwide, posing serious threats to agricultural productivity, water quality, and ecosystem stability. Although a range of conservation measures—such as contour farming, terracing, and vegetative buffer strips—have been widely adopted to mitigate its effects, the accelerating pace of climate change introduces new and complex challenges. Global warming is intensifying the hydrological cycle, leading to more frequent, intense, and spatially variable extreme rainfall events. These changes not only increase rainfall erosivity but also enhance overland flow generation and sediment transport capacity. At the same time, rising temperatures and prolonged droughts contribute to reduced vegetation cover, accelerated decomposition of soil organic matter, and weakened soil aggregate stability, which collectively diminish infiltration capacity and increase soil susceptibility to erosion. As a result, these climate-driven alterations significantly amplify both the risk and severity of water erosion, while simultaneously testing the design standards, functional durability, and overall adaptability of existing erosion control measures.

The goal of this Special Issue for Water is to compile high-quality original research and review articles that provide novel insights into the processes, mechanisms, and controls of water erosion in a changing climate. We aim to advance the understanding of how climate change alters hydro-geomorphological processes and to explore innovative, adaptive strategies for erosion mitigation. This issue will highlight data-driven approaches, empirical analyses, and modeling advancements that can inform effective policy and practice. We seek contributions that elucidate the pathways through which climate stressors influence erosion rates and how erosion control measures can be optimized for enhanced climate resilience.

For this Special Issue, we welcome manuscripts that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• How do extreme rainfall events alter the patterns, thresholds, and dominant processes (e.g., sheet, rill, gully erosion) of water erosion across different landscapes?
• What is the impact of changing rainfall seasonality, intensity, and phase (e.g., rain-on-snow) on runoff generation and sediment yield?
• How do antecedent soil moisture conditions, influenced by drought cycles, modulate the watershed's response to erosive rainfall?
• To what extent do climate-induced changes in vegetation phenology, cover, and root architecture affect soil erodibility?
• How is the performance and long-term stability of traditional and innovative erosion control structures (e.g., terraces, check dams, grassed waterways) affected under future climate scenarios?
• How can nature-based solutions (e.g., agroforestry, conservation tillage, wetland restoration) be optimized to provide synergistic benefits for erosion control, climate adaptation, and carbon sequestration?
• What advances in remote sensing, distributed hydrological modeling, and machine learning can improve the prediction of sediment sources and erosion hotspots under climate uncertainty?

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions.

Dr. Hongliang Kang
Dr. Yibao Lou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• water erosion
• climate change
• extreme rainfall
• runoff generation
• sediment yield
• soil and water conservation