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Integrated Approaches to Water Resources and Environmental Management: Innovations in Simulation and Impact Assessment

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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2025 | Viewed by 2240

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yuntao Wang

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Guest Editor

Innovation Research Center of Satellite Application, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Interests: water resources management; water allocation and use; water quality; hydrology and hydraulics

Dr. Xiaoli Zhang

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Guest Editor

Henan Key Laboratory of Water Resources Conservation and Intensive Utilization in the Yellow River Basin, College of Water Resources, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Interests: water resources management; water demand management; water resources planning; flood forecasting

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As global water challenges escalate due to climate change, urbanization, and population growth, innovative solutions are crucial for effective decision-making and sustainable practices. This Special Issue aims to explore cutting-edge methodologies and technologies in water resources management. Contributions will focus on integrated approaches that combine hydrological modeling, environmental assessments, and stakeholder engagement to enhance water management strategies. We invite papers that discuss novel simulation techniques, data-driven decision support systems, and case studies showcasing the successful implementation of integrated frameworks.

This Special Issue seeks to highlight interdisciplinary research that advances our understanding of water systems and their interactions with the environment. By fostering collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and practitioners, we aim to generate insights that inform effective management practices, promote resilience, and ultimately contribute to the sustainable use of water resources.

Dr. Yuntao Wang
Dr. Xiaoli Zhang
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

water resources management
water environment assessment
hydrological modeling
simulation techniques
integrated approaches
climate change adaptation
decision support systems
stakeholder engagement

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Communicating About Single-Use Bottled Water to Mitigate Ecosystem Pollution

by Kristin E. Gibson, Alexa J. Lamm, Kevan W. Lamm, Jessica Holt and Kyle Maurice Woosnam

Water 2025, 17(9), 1298; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17091298 - 26 Apr 2025

Viewed by 185

Abstract

The use of plastics is ingrained in modern lifestyles, yet plastic waste contaminates ecosystems and harms human health. Single-use bottled water is a substantial contributor to global plastic use despite many sustainable alternatives. The purpose of this study was to examine if knowledge, cognitive beliefs, affective beliefs, attitudes, and perceived access to clean water affected consumers’ intention to purchase single-use bottled water. Data were collected from Florida, Georgia, and Alabama residents using non-probability opt-in sampling. A hypothesized model was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural modeling in MPlus. Knowledge, cognitive beliefs, and affective beliefs accounted for 34.5% of the variance in attitudes. Additionally, these three constructs, along with the perceived access to clean water and attitudes, accounted for 31.9% of the variance in the intention to purchase single-use bottled water. All direct and indirect paths in the model were significant, indicating that communication targeting knowledge, cognitive beliefs, affective beliefs, attitudes, and the perceived access to clean water may shift the public sentiment. Key findings revealed that increasing consumers’ knowledge and decreasing beliefs about single-use bottled water decreased purchase intentions. The study results highlight the need for communication strategies that challenge emotional attachments and the perceived knowledge of single-use bottled water while emphasizing credible knowledge about the associated environmental and health impacts. Environmental communicators should explore generational differences related to affective beliefs regarding single-use bottled water to target messaging based on aesthetics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Approaches to Water Resources and Environmental Management: Innovations in Simulation and Impact Assessment)

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29 pages, 10523 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Simulated Effects of Future Water Availability and Protected Species Habitat in a Perennial Wetland, Santa Barbara County, California

by Geoffrey Cromwell, Daniel P. Culling, Matthew J. Young and Joshua D. Larsen

Water 2025, 17(8), 1238; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17081238 - 21 Apr 2025

Viewed by 224

Abstract

This study evaluates the potential water availability in Barka Slough and the effects of changing hydrological conditions on the aquatic habitat of five protected species. Barka Slough is a historically perennial wetland at the downstream western end of the San Antonio Creek Valley watershed (SACVW). A previously published hydrologic model of the SACVW for 1948–2018 was extended to include 2019–2021 and then modified to simulate the future years of 2022–2051. Two models simulating the future years of 2022–2051 were constructed, each with different climate inputs: (1) a repeated historical climate and (2) a 2070-centered Drier Extreme Warming climate (2070 DEW). The model with the 2070 DEW climate had warmer temperatures and an increase in average annual precipitation driven by larger, albeit more infrequent, precipitation events than the model with the historical climate. Simulated groundwater pumpage resulted in cumulative groundwater storage depletion and groundwater-level decline in Barka Slough in both future models. The simulations indicate that Barka Slough may transition from a perennial to an ephemeral wetland. Streamflow, stream disconnection, and depth to groundwater are key habitat metrics for federally listed species in Barka Slough. Future seasonal conditions for each metric are more likely to affect federally listed species’ habitats under 2070 DEW climatic conditions. Future seasonal streamflow volume may negatively impact unarmored threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus williamsoni) and tidewater goby (Eucyclogobis newberryi) habitats. Future seasonal stream disconnection may negatively impact the unarmored threespine stickleback habitat. Future groundwater-level decline may negatively impact Gambel’s watercress (Nasturtium gambelii) and La Graciosa thistle (Cirsium scariosum var. loncholepis) habitats and could influence the ability to use Barka Slough as a restoration or reintroduction site for these species. Results from this study can be used to inform water management decisions to sustain future groundwater availability in the SACVW. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Approaches to Water Resources and Environmental Management: Innovations in Simulation and Impact Assessment)

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19 pages, 4115 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Various Land Use Metrics for Enhancing Stream Water Quality Predictions

by Ali O. Alnahit, Ashok. K. Mishra and Abdul A. Khan

Water 2025, 17(6), 849; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17060849 - 16 Mar 2025

Viewed by 253

Abstract

Water quality in streams is primarily affected by various land use practices. This study analyzes water quality data collected from the outlets of 113 watersheds across three South Atlantic states in the USA. The objective is to evaluate the relationship between different land use metrics and long-term stream water quality, specifically investigating whether incorporating the spatial proximity of various land uses to the stream and outlet can enhance predictions of stream water quality. To achieve this, four distinct metrics were utilized to assess their influence on stream water quality. The first metric, known as the Lumped method, assigns equal weight to all land uses. The second, the Inverse Distance Weights stream (IDWs), gives greater weight to land uses located closer to the stream. The third metric, the Inverse Distance Weights Outlet (IDWO), weights land uses according to their proximity to the watershed outlet. The final metric focuses on hydrologically sensitive areas (HSAs), which are areas within watersheds that generate the majority of runoff. The results indicated that the Lumped metric emphasizes the significance of forested lands, whereas the HSAs, IDWs, and IDWO metrics highlight the importance of the spatial distribution of agricultural and industrial lands within the watershed. These findings support the hypothesis that considering hotspot areas and their relative positions within the watershed can improve predictions of water quality. Overall, the incorporation of HSAs, IDWs, and IDWO metrics shows that not only is the extent of land use change within a watershed critical, but also the proximity of these land uses to a stream or outlet plays a significant role. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Approaches to Water Resources and Environmental Management: Innovations in Simulation and Impact Assessment)

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13 pages, 1554 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Risk of Internal Loading of Phosphorus from Drinking Reservoir Sediments

by Sophie E. Watson, Veronica Bell, Peter Kille, James M. Rand, Lee D. Bryant and Rupert G. Perkins

Water 2025, 17(6), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17060799 - 11 Mar 2025

Viewed by 519

Abstract

The natural process of lake and reservoir eutrophication through nutrient accumulation within sediments has been accelerated through anthropogenic sources of nitrogen and, especially, phosphorus (P). Stored nutrients can result in significant internal loading (during periods of low sediment redox potential or elevated pH), which may drive poor water quality despite best practices in catchment management. Internal P loading can promote proliferation of cyanobacterial and algal taxa responsible for harmful algal blooms (HABs), as well as taste and odour (T&O) and cyanotoxin events. Here, we investigate the sediment and water column P content of eight reservoirs by analysing iron-bound (Fe-P), calcium-bound (Ca-P), and labile P fractions. We find that all but one reservoir demonstrated high iron (Fe) content (27–52 g Fe/kg sediment), suggesting a high Fe-P binding capacity and hence a potentially high susceptibility to redox-mediated internal loading. However, we found no correlation between Fe-P and Fe content in sediments, suggesting the Fe pool was not saturated with P and thus has capacity for further storage. All sites had low levels of labile P (up to 0.14 mg P-PO₄/g dry sediment), with the highest pool of P being Ca-bound, which would be expected based on catchment geology and the presence of Ca-minerals which bind P. Currently, within industry, emphasis falls on controlling the external loading of nutrients from the surrounding catchment, often ignoring the critical role of internal loading. However, here, we demonstrate the need to continually monitor sediment P content and potential internal loading as part of the standard monitoring regime used by water companies to inform reservoir management strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Approaches to Water Resources and Environmental Management: Innovations in Simulation and Impact Assessment)

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17 pages, 3906 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Data Reconstruction for Groundwater Wells Proximal to Lakes: A Quantitative Assessment for Hydrological Data Imputation

by Murat Can, Babak Vaheddoost and Mir Jafar Sadegh Safari

Water 2025, 17(5), 718; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17050718 - 1 Mar 2025

Viewed by 483

Abstract

The reconstruction of missing groundwater level data is of great importance in hydrogeological and environmental studies. This study provides a comprehensive and sequential approach for the reconstruction of groundwater level data near Lake Uluabat in Bursa, Turkey. This study addresses missing data reconstruction for both past and future events using the Gradient Boosting Regression (GBR) model. The reconstruction process is evaluated through model calibration metrics and changes in the statistical properties of the observed and reconstructed time series. To achieve this goal, the groundwater time series from two observational wells and lake water levels during the January 2004 to September 2019 period are used. The lake water level, the definition of the four seasons via the application of three dummy variables, and time are used as inputs in the prediction of groundwater levels in observation wells. The optimal GBR model calibration is achieved by training the dataset selected based on data gaps in the time series, while test-past and test-future datasets are used for model validation. Afterward, the GBR models are used in reconstructing the missing data both in the pre- and post-training data sets, and the performance of the models are evaluated via the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), Root Mean Square Percentage Error (RMSPE) and Performance Index (PI). The statistical properties of the time series including the probability distribution, maxima, minima, quartiles (Q1–Q3), standard error (SE), coefficient of variation (CV), entropy (H), and error propagation are also measured. It was concluded that GBR provides a good base for missing data reconstruction (the best performance was as high as NSE: 0.99, RMSPE: 0.36, and PI: 1.002). In particular, the standard error and the entropy of the system in one case, respectively, experienced a 53% and 35% rise, which was found to be tolerable and negligible. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Approaches to Water Resources and Environmental Management: Innovations in Simulation and Impact Assessment)

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22 pages, 3012 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Regional Disparities, Dynamic Evolution, and Influencing Factors of Water Environment Governance Efficiency in China

by Xiaochun Zhao and Danjie Yang

Water 2025, 17(4), 515; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17040515 - 11 Feb 2025

Viewed by 536

Abstract

To investigate the effectiveness of water environment governance in China, this study employs the Super-SBM model to measure the WEGE (water environment governance efficiency) of 283 prefecture-level cities in China from 2013 to 2022. Multidimensional decomposition is conducted using the Dagum Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation, convergence models, and the Tobit model. The findings reveal the following: (1) China’s WEGE is generally at a low-efficiency development stage, exhibiting a pattern of “western regions > central regions > eastern regions”. WEGE evolves from “scattered distribution” to “multi-center aggregation”. (2) The overall Gini coefficient for WEGE in China is relatively low, with an average of 0.120. Intra-group differences and transvariation intensity are the primary sources of regional disparities. (3) The country and the three major regions exhibit right-tailed and multi-polar phenomena. (4) σ-convergence is observed exclusively in the eastern area, whereas both absolute and conditional β-convergence are evident throughout the country as well as within the three major regional divisions. (5) Government intervention has a significant positive impact on WEGE, while artificial intelligence, spatial agglomeration, and industrial structure upgrading exert negative effects on WEGE. Therefore, it is urgent to pay attention to the regional differences in WEGE and implement practical measures for collaborative water environment governance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Approaches to Water Resources and Environmental Management: Innovations in Simulation and Impact Assessment)

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