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Sustainable Agricultural Water Management Under Climate Change

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 1277

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Interests: agricultural water management, including irrigation and drainage; design, monitoring, and evaluating practices for soil health, agroecosystem sustainability, and environmental quality; field- and watershed-scale monitoring and modeling of hydrology, water quality, greenhouse gases, carbon, and nutrient cycling; farmer-friendly decision tools
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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Interests: agricultural water quality; soil health; agricultural water management; agroecosystem sustainability; environmental monitoring and data analytics; nutrient transport and pollution control; field-scale experimentation; hydrological and ecosystem modeling; soil-water interaction; climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies; irrigation; stakeholder collaboration and community engagement; machine learning; artificial intelligence

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is profoundly altering the availability, distribution, and quality of water resources, posing major challenges for sustainable agricultural production, with its consequences including more frequent and intense droughts and floods, erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, deforestation, soil salinization, desertification, degradation of watersheds, and shrinking or expanding cultivated lands. These transformations are intensifying pressures on agricultural water systems, threatening both food security and ecosystem health.

This Special Issue, “Sustainable Agricultural Water Management Under Climate Change,” aims to present cutting-edge research and practical solutions that enhance water productivity, improve soil–water–crop interactions, and mitigate climate risks. Innovative and adaptive strategies, such as climate-smart irrigation and drainage systems, integrated watershed management, drainage water recycling, managed aquifer recharge, soil moisture conservation, water reuse technologies, nature-based solutions, and integrated soil–water–nutrient management, can play a central role in addressing these challenges.

We therefore invite original research papers, reviews, and case studies addressing topics such as climate-smart irrigation and drainage, water reuse and conservation technologies, modeling of hydrologic and nutrient processes under changing climates, and policy frameworks supporting sustainable water governance in agriculture. By integrating field experiments, data analytics, and modeling approaches, this Special Issue seeks to advance understanding and promote adaptive water management strategies that safeguard both food security and ecosystem resilience.

Dr. Vinayak S. Shedekar
Guest Editor

Dr. Babak Dialameh
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • sustainable agriculture
  • climate change adaptation
  • water management
  • irrigation and drainage
  • hydrologic modeling
  • soil–water–crop interactions
  • water quality
  • resilience
  • precision agriculture
  • decision-support systems

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

20 pages, 733 KB  
Review
Treated Wastewater as an Irrigation Source in South Africa: A Review of Suitability, Environmental Impacts, and Potential Public Health Risks
by Itumeleng Kgobokanang Jacob Kekana, Pholosho Mmateko Kgopa and Kingsley Kwabena Ayisi
Water 2026, 18(2), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18020194 - 12 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1055
Abstract
Availability of irrigation water during growing seasons in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) remains a significant concern. Persistent droughts and unpredictable rainfall patterns attributed to climate change, coupled with an increasing population, have exacerbated irrigation water scarcity. Globally, treated wastewater has been [...] Read more.
Availability of irrigation water during growing seasons in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) remains a significant concern. Persistent droughts and unpredictable rainfall patterns attributed to climate change, coupled with an increasing population, have exacerbated irrigation water scarcity. Globally, treated wastewater has been utilised as an irrigation water source; however, despite global advances in the usage of treated wastewater, its suitability for irrigation in RSA remains a contentious issue. Considering this uncertainty, this review article aims to unravel the South African scenario on the suitability of treated wastewater for irrigation purposes and highlights the potential environmental impacts and public health risks. The review synthesised literature in the last two decades (2000–present) using Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar databases. Findings reveal that treated wastewater can serve as a viable irrigation source in the country, enhancing various soil parameters, including nutritional pool, organic carbon, and fertility status. However, elevated levels of salts, heavy metals, and microplastics in treated wastewater resulting from insufficient treatment of wastewater processes may present significant challenges. These contaminants might induce saline conditions and increase heavy metals and microplastics in soil systems and water bodies, thereby posing a threat to public health and potentially causing ecological risks. Based on the reviewed literature, irrigation with treated wastewater should be implemented on a localised and pilot basis. This review aims to influence policy-making decisions regarding wastewater treatment plant structure and management. Stricter monitoring and compliance policies, revision of irrigation water standards to include emerging contaminants such as microplastics, and intensive investment in wastewater treatment plants in the country are recommended. With improved policies, management, and treatment efficiency, treated wastewater can be a dependable, sustainable, and practical irrigation water source in the country with minimal public health risks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Agricultural Water Management Under Climate Change)
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