Social, Cultural, and Economic Factors Directly and Indirectly Influencing Water Resources and Conservation Outcomes
A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Use and Scarcity".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 27 December 2025 | Viewed by 6
Special Issue Editors
Interests: social-cultural impacts of tourism; resident-tourist relationships; sustainable tourism; community
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: natural resources communication; stakeholder-centered program evaluation; digital and traditional media; conservation programming; quantitative social science meth-ods
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Effective water conservation requires not only biological knowledge but also an understanding of human behavior, values, and communication. Social sciences are increasingly recognized as critical to conservation success, yet there remains a need for more systematic integration across practice, education, and outreach. This Special Issue invites contributions that explore the role of social sciences in water conservation efforts, focusing on how research informs education programs, public engagement, and communication campaigns related to water and environmental stewardship. We seek empirical studies, case studies, and reviews that highlight challenges, innovations, and best practices in applying social science insights to conservation. We especially welcome work that examines how broader social, cultural, and economic factors, those that indirectly influence water resources and conservation outcomes, are identified and addressed through education and communication. We encourage exploration of broader factors that impact water, such as the connection between reducing food waste and preserving water resources. We especially encourage work that examines interdisciplinary collaborations, stakeholder engagement, and the development of educational tools and communication strategies.
Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Environmental education;
- Water resource communication;
- Social dimensions of water conservation;
- Stakeholder perceptions and community engagement;
- Behavior change strategies in conservation;
- Indirect factors impacting water resources;
- Training future conservationists in social science principles.
Prof. Dr. Kyle Maurice Woosnam
Guest Editor
Dr. Kristin E. Gibson
Guest Editor Assistant
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
- water resource communication
- environmental education
- water conservation behavior
- social evaluation methods
- watershed management
- behavioral modification
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