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Applications of Remote Sensing and GISs in River Basin Ecosystems
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Applications of Remote Sensing and GISs in River Basin Ecosystems

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "New Sensors, New Technologies and Machine Learning in Water Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 5701

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jiren Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Social & Environmental Sustainability, University of Glasgow, Dumfries, UK
Interests: GISs; remote sensing; river basin management; ecosystem services; wetland; nature-based solutions; land cover and land use change
Dr. Pengfei Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Geomatics, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
Interests: geomorphology; land use change; remote sensing; climate change; soil erosion; erosion modelling
Dr. Changjia Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
Interests: hydrology progresses; land degradation; ecological thresholds; ecological restoration; water resources management; environmental modeling; land cover and land use change
Dr. Zhihui Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Yellow River Conservancy Commission, Ministry of Water Resources of China, Zhengzhou, China
Interests: land cover and land use change; vegetation structural parameter retrieval; ecological monitoring; hydrological response to vegetation change; quantitative remote sensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, titled "Applications of Remote Sensing and GISs in River Basin Ecosystems", aims to explore the cutting-edge advancements and applications of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GISs) in the management and conservation of river basin ecosystems. It will cover a broad spectrum of topics, including the monitoring and assessment of water quality, mapping land use and land cover changes, analyzing hydrological processes, and modeling ecosystem dynamics.

Its purpose is to provide a comprehensive overview of how remote sensing and GIS technologies are being utilized to address the challenges faced by river basin ecosystems globally. This Special Issue will contribute to the existing literature by showcasing innovative research that integrates these technologies to enhance our understanding and management of river basins. It will highlight case studies, methodological advancements, and practical applications, aiming to bridge the gap between theoretical research and practical implementation. By bringing together contributions from experts in the field, it will serve as a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers involved in river basin management and environmental conservation.

Dr. Jiren Xu
Dr. Pengfei Li
Dr. Changjia Li
Dr. Zhihui Wang
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

  • remote sensing
  • GISs
  • river basin ecosystems
  • water quality monitoring
  • land use and land cover change
  • hydrological processes
  • ecosystem dynamics
  • environmental conservation
  • spatial analysis
  • sustainable management

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

50 pages, 45416 KiB  
Article
Uncovering Anthropogenic Changes in Small- and Medium-Sized River Basins of the Southwestern Caspian Sea Watershed: Global Information System and Remote Sensing Analysis Using Satellite Imagery and Geodatabases
by Vladimir Tabunshchik, Aleksandra Nikiforova, Nastasia Lineva, Roman Gorbunov, Tatiana Gorbunova, Ibragim Kerimov, Abouzar Nasiri and Cam Nhung Pham
Water 2025, 17(13), 2031; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17132031 - 6 Jul 2025
Viewed by 663
Abstract
This study investigates the anthropogenic transformation of small- and medium-sized river basins within the Caspian Sea catchment. The basins of seven rivers—Sunzha, Sulak, Ulluchay, Karachay, Atachay, Haraz, and Gorgan—were selected as key study areas. For both the broader Caspian region, particularly its southwestern [...] Read more.
This study investigates the anthropogenic transformation of small- and medium-sized river basins within the Caspian Sea catchment. The basins of seven rivers—Sunzha, Sulak, Ulluchay, Karachay, Atachay, Haraz, and Gorgan—were selected as key study areas. For both the broader Caspian region, particularly its southwestern sector, and the selected study sites, trends in land cover types were analyzed, natural resource use practices were assessed, and population density dynamics were examined. Furthermore, a range of indices were calculated to quantify the degree of anthropogenic transformation, including the coefficient of anthropogenic transformation, the land degradation index, the urbanity index, the degree of anthropogenic transformation, coefficients of absolute and relative tension of the ecological and economic balance, and the natural protection coefficient. The study was conducted using geoinformation research methods and sets of geodata databases—the global LandScan population density database, the GHS Population Grid database, the ESRI land cover type dynamics database, and OpenStreetMap (OSM) data. The analysis was performed using the geoinformation programs QGIS and ArcGIS, and a large amount of literary and statistical data was additionally analyzed. It is shown that within the studied region, there has been a decrease in the number and density of the population, as a result of which the territories of river basins are experiencing an increasing anthropogenic impact, the woody type of land cover is decreasing, and the agricultural type is increasing. The most anthropogenically transformed river basins are Karachay, Haraz, and Gorgan. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Remote Sensing and GISs in River Basin Ecosystems)
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30 pages, 8188 KiB  
Article
Understanding Hydrological Responses to Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Belize River Watershed
by Nina K. L. Copeland, Robert E. Griffin, Betzy E. Hernández Sandoval, Emil A. Cherrington, Chinmay Deval and Tennielle Hendy
Water 2025, 17(13), 1915; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17131915 - 27 Jun 2025
Viewed by 566
Abstract
Increasing forest destruction from land use and land cover change (LULCC) has altered catchment hydrological processes worldwide. This trend is also endemic to the Belize River Watershed (BRW), a significant source of land and water resources for Belize. This study aims to understand [...] Read more.
Increasing forest destruction from land use and land cover change (LULCC) has altered catchment hydrological processes worldwide. This trend is also endemic to the Belize River Watershed (BRW), a significant source of land and water resources for Belize. This study aims to understand LULCC impacts on BRW hydrological responses from 2000 to 2020 by applying the widely used Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). This study identified historical trends in LULCC in the BRW and explored an alternative 2020 land cover scenario to elucidate the role of protected forests for hydrological response regulation. A SWAT model for the BRW was developed at the monthly timescale and calibrated on in situ streamflow using SWAT Calibrations and Uncertainty Programs (SWAT-CUP). The results showed that the BRW SWAT model performed satisfactorily for streamflow simulation at the Benque Viejo (BV) gauge station but performed variably at the Double Run (DR) gauge station. Overall, the findings revealed watershed-level increases in monthly average sediment yield (34.40%), surface runoff (24.95%), streamflow (16.86%), water yield (16.02%), baseflow (11.58%), and percolation (3.40%), and decreases in monthly average evapotranspiration (ET) (3.52%). In conclusion, the BRW SWAT model is promising for uncovering the hydrological impacts of LULCCs with opportunities for further model improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Remote Sensing and GISs in River Basin Ecosystems)
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23 pages, 3461 KiB  
Article
High-Resolution Water Quality Monitoring of Small Reservoirs Using UAV-Based Multispectral Imaging
by Changyu Long, Jingyu Zhang, Xiaolin Xia, Dandan Liu, Lei Chen and Xiqin Yan
Water 2025, 17(11), 1566; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17111566 - 22 May 2025
Viewed by 675
Abstract
Multispectral satellite imagery has been widely applied in water quality monitoring, but limitations in spatial–temporal resolution and acquisition delays often hinder accurate assessments in small water bodies. In this study, a DJI M600PRO UAV equipped with a Sequoia multispectral sensor was used to [...] Read more.
Multispectral satellite imagery has been widely applied in water quality monitoring, but limitations in spatial–temporal resolution and acquisition delays often hinder accurate assessments in small water bodies. In this study, a DJI M600PRO UAV equipped with a Sequoia multispectral sensor was used to assess the water quality in Zhangshan Reservoir, a small inland reservoir in Chuzhou, Anhui, China. Two regression approaches—the Window Averaging Method (WAM) and the Matching Pixel-by-Pixel Method (MPP)—were used to link UAV-derived spectral indices with in situ measurements of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Despite a limited sample size (n = 60) and single-day sampling, MPP outperformed WAM, achieving higher predictive accuracy (R2 = 0.970 for TN, 0.902 for TP, and 0.695 for COD). The findings demonstrate that UAV-based MPP effectively captures fine-scale spatial heterogeneity and offers a promising solution for monitoring water quality in small and turbid reservoirs, overcoming key limitations of satellite-based remote sensing. However, the study is constrained by the temporal coverage and sample density, and future work should integrate multi-temporal UAV observations and expand the dataset to improve the model robustness and generalizability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Remote Sensing and GISs in River Basin Ecosystems)
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47 pages, 29904 KiB  
Article
Delineation and Morphometric Characterization of Small- and Medium-Sized Caspian Sea Basin River Catchments Using Remote Sensing and GISs
by Vladimir Tabunshchik, Petimat Dzhambetova, Roman Gorbunov, Tatiana Gorbunova, Aleksandra Nikiforova, Polina Drygval, Ibragim Kerimov and Mariia Kiseleva
Water 2025, 17(5), 679; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17050679 - 26 Feb 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1190
Abstract
This investigation endeavors to demarcate the boundaries of small- and medium-sized river catchments within the Caspian Sea drainage basin, with a specific focus on the Northeastern Caucasus, Azerbaijan, and Iran regions. A multi-faceted approach was employed, incorporating various remote sensing methods to select [...] Read more.
This investigation endeavors to demarcate the boundaries of small- and medium-sized river catchments within the Caspian Sea drainage basin, with a specific focus on the Northeastern Caucasus, Azerbaijan, and Iran regions. A multi-faceted approach was employed, incorporating various remote sensing methods to select key areas, including the catchments of the Sunzha, Sulak, Ulluchay, Karachay, Atachay, Haraz, and Gorgan rivers. Subsequently, geoinformation systems (GISs) and topographic maps were utilized to determine the morphometric characteristics of these catchments, accompanied by an assessment of the accuracy of remote sensing data. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy and suitability of digital elevation models (DEMs) with a spatial resolution of 30 m per pixel (including ASTER DEM, ALOS DEM, NASADEM, Copernicus 30 m DEM, and SRTM 30 m DEM) and 90 m per pixel (Copernicus 90 m DEM and SRTM 90 m DEM) for delineating small- and medium-sized Caspian Sea basin river catchments. For the DEMs that successfully and accurately delineated watershed boundaries, the morphometric characteristics of the river basins were calculated. This research has yielded novel findings regarding the morphometric characteristics (area, perimeter, ruggedness of the catchment line (roundness coefficient), maximum height, minimum height, average height of the river basin, maximum slope of the surface, average slope of the surface, length of the main watercourse, basin shape parameter (catchment elongation coefficient), shape coefficient, length of the river basin, average river basin slope, and average width of the basin) of individual mountainous small- and medium-sized rivers in the Northeastern Caucasus, Azerbaijan, and Iran, with the catchments of the aforementioned rivers serving as exemplars. The practical significance of these results lies in the fact that such detailed morphometric characteristics of catchments have been obtained for the first time, and their boundaries have been clarified (burned out according to various DEMs), which can serve as a basis for decision-making processes and contribute to the development of operational environmental monitoring of the state of rivers and their catchments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Remote Sensing and GISs in River Basin Ecosystems)
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30 pages, 57537 KiB  
Article
Monitoring and Analysis of the Driving Forces Behind Ecological and Environmental Quality at the County Scale Based on Remote Sensing Data
by Naifeng Zhang, Honglei Ren, Jiankang Geng, Minglei Guo, Ming Shi and Fei Lin
Water 2025, 17(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17010019 - 25 Dec 2024
Viewed by 792
Abstract
Chaohu Lake, as an important freshwater lake in China, mainly relies on surface runoff for water replenishment, and the environmental quality of the surrounding towns directly impacts the environment of Chaohu Lake. Given the characteristics of rich water resources and extensive river networks [...] Read more.
Chaohu Lake, as an important freshwater lake in China, mainly relies on surface runoff for water replenishment, and the environmental quality of the surrounding towns directly impacts the environment of Chaohu Lake. Given the characteristics of rich water resources and extensive river networks in the lake area, this paper utilizes the GEE platform and selects Landsat data from 1992 to 2022, taking Feidong County, one of the lake’s inlets, as the study area. We used the water benefit-based ecological index (WBEI) to monitor and evaluate the ecological quality of the study area and employ the Sen+MK trend analysis method to analyze the spatial-temporal characteristics of ecological quality changes. To explore the driving forces behind the spatial-temporal changes in the WBEI, this study selects land use type, elevation, slope, aspect, potential evapotranspiration, annual average precipitation, annual average temperature, and five characteristic factors used in the construction of the WBEI as influencing factors. Using the geo-detector method, the study analyzes the driving forces behind the spatial-temporal changes in the WBEI in the study area. Results show that the WBEI, considering water efficiency, integrates waterbody information into regional environmental quality assessments, comprehensively reflecting the ecological environment of lakeside cities. From 1992 to 2022, the WBEI of the study region shows an increasing trend, with an improved area accounting for 1110.42 km2, or 51.21% of the total area. Among these, the significantly improved area covers 372.9789 km2 or 17.2% of the total area, while the slightly improved area covers 737.4411 km2, corresponding to 34.01% of the total area. Interaction types of influencing factors include bivariate enhancement and nonlinear enhancement, with the primary interactive factors affecting the ecological environment quality change in Feidong County being CLCD∩RVI; changes in land use and vegetation cover are the main driving forces behind the changes in ecological and environmental quality in Feidong County. From 1992 to 2022, the main land type transformations in the study area were from arable land to other land types, with a significant conversion of arable land to construction land, which is the main reason for the degradation of local ecological and environmental quality. The results of this study can provide practical references and theoretical support for ecological environment assessment, governance, and improvement in areas with abundant water resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Remote Sensing and GISs in River Basin Ecosystems)
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23 pages, 13559 KiB  
Article
Maximum Entropy Method for Wind Farm Site Selection: Implications for River Basin Ecosystems Under Climate Change
by Muge Unal, Ahmet Cilek and Senem Tekin
Water 2024, 16(24), 3679; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16243679 - 20 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1202
Abstract
As the global shift from fossil fuels to the Paris Agreement has accelerated, wind energy has become a key alternative to hydroelectric power. However, existing research often needs to improve in integrating diverse environmental, economic, and climate-related variables when modeling wind energy potential, [...] Read more.
As the global shift from fossil fuels to the Paris Agreement has accelerated, wind energy has become a key alternative to hydroelectric power. However, existing research often needs to improve in integrating diverse environmental, economic, and climate-related variables when modeling wind energy potential, particularly under future climate change scenarios. Addressing these gaps, this study employs the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) method, a robust and innovative tool for spatial modeling, to identify optimal wind farm sites in Türkiye. This research advances site selection methodologies and enhances predictive accuracy by leveraging a comprehensive dataset and incorporating climate change scenarios. The results indicate that 89% of the current licensed projects will maintain compliance in the future, while 8% will see a decrease in compliance. Furthermore, the wind energy potential in Türkiye is expected to increase because of climate change. These results confirm the suitability of existing project locations and identify new high-potential areas for sustainable wind energy development. This study provides policymakers, investors, and developers actionable insights to optimize wind energy integration into the national energy portfolio, supporting global climate goals by accelerating the adoption of renewable energy sources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Remote Sensing and GISs in River Basin Ecosystems)
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