Global Perspective on Risk Assessment of Aquifer Contamination, Identification of Vulnerable Zones, and Implementation of Management Tactics

Dear Colleagues,

Due to population growth, urbanization, and industrialization, the demand for fresh water is increasing worldwide. Fresh water is a necessity for every human being. This is why water quality is so important, because it directly affects human health and aquatic life. The ionic behavior of water, the accumulation of metals, and the presence of pathogens determine its quality for drinking, irrigation, and domestic use. Water quality has also been affected recently by climate change and the overuse of groundwater. Natural factors (geogenic weathering, water–rock interactions, dissolution, precipitation, etc.) and anthropogenic activities (industrial effluents, municipal waste, drainage, etc.) affect the ionic behavior and concentration of toxic metals in groundwater. The world faces serious difficulties due to water scarcity and limited water resources if current trends continue. Globally, several billion people are affected by water scarcity at least one month a year, with increasing numbers of people living in countries with significant water stress. As water demand increases and climate change intensifies, stress will continue to grow, according to a report from the WHO. In this context, major researchers around the world have published their findings on water science. Under these conditions, holistic tactical studies on groundwater are essential to think about and discuss how to solve water problems. Therefore, the world needs a rigorous, workable plan for water management.

Dr. Gnanachandrasamy Gopalakrishnan
Dr. Venkatramanan Senapathi
Dr. Yong Xiao
Prof. Dr. Sang Yong Chung
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.

• flow systems in various climates and geological conditions
• human-induced perturbations of groundwater behavior
• mechanisms of poor-quality groundwater and threat to human community
• generation and use of geothermal and saline water
• degradation or restoration of the environment and ecology due to groundwater variability