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Dynamic Response of Water and Soil Resources in the Context of Climate Change and Human Activities

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 1208

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Water and Environment, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
Interests: land–atmosphere interactions and feedback; hydrometeorological hazard forecasting and early warning; climate change impact on hydrological cycles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Hydraulic Engineering, HeBei University of Water Resources and Electric Engineering, Cangzhou Technology Innovation Center of Remote Sensing and Smart Water, Cangzhou 061001, China
Interests: meteorological drought and hydrological drought coupling; land–atmosphere interactions; hydrological response to extreme precipitation; climate model downscaling and application; integrated water resources management under changing environment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Water and Environment, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
Interests: soil water transfer; vapor flow; hydrological cycle; freeze–thaw process; numerical simulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water and soil resources are foundational to sustaining ecosystems, agricultural productivity, and human livelihoods. However, these critical resources face unprecedented pressures from climate change and intensified human activities, including urbanization, industrialization, and land-use alterations. Rising global temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events are altering hydrological cycles and soil stability, while anthropogenic interventions such as overexploitation, pollution, and unsustainable practices further exacerbate resource degradation. Understanding the dynamic interplay between natural processes and human influences is essential to mitigate risks and ensure the sustainable management of water and soil systems. This Special Issue invites innovative research addressing the integrated responses of water and soil resources to climate variability and anthropogenic stressors. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Impacts of climate change on hydrological regimes and soil health;
  • Human-induced alterations in water availability and soil quality;
  • Modeling and prediction of water–soil interactions under changing environments;
  • Pollution mechanisms and remediation strategies for water and soil systems;
  • Socio-ecological resilience and adaptive management approaches;
  • Technological advances in monitoring and sustainable resource utilization.

By synthesizing multidisciplinary insights, this Special Issue aims to advance scientific understanding and inform policies for balancing resource conservation with developmental needs. Contributions from hydrology, soil science, remote sensing, climatology, ecology, and environmental engineering are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Yudong Lu
Dr. Huanhuan Li
Dr. Ce Zheng
Guest Editors

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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

  • water and soil resources security
  • water–soil interactions
  • climate change impacts on water and soil
  • anthropogenic stressors to water and soil
  • hydrological modeling
  • soil degradation
  • pollution remediation
  • sustainable agriculture
  • ecosystem resilience
  • land-use change

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 7381 KB  
Article
Evaluation of Groundwater Quality and Health Risk Assessment During the Dry Season in the Xin’an River Basin, China
by Liyuan Zhao, Baili Geng, Mingjie Zhao, Baofei Li, Qingzhuang Miao, Shigao Liu, Zhigang Zhao, Haiyu Wang, Yuyan Li, Wei Jin, Xiao Zhang, Yan Sun, Hao Wu and Junchao Wang
Water 2025, 17(16), 2412; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17162412 - 15 Aug 2025
Viewed by 463
Abstract
A total of 162 groundwater samples were collected during November and December 2022 in the Xin’an River Basin during the dry season. In this research, the concentrations of various indicators in most samples did not exceed the prescribed standards. The indicators with the [...] Read more.
A total of 162 groundwater samples were collected during November and December 2022 in the Xin’an River Basin during the dry season. In this research, the concentrations of various indicators in most samples did not exceed the prescribed standards. The indicators with the largest number of exceedances were iodine and manganese, with 22 and 23 samples, respectively. Overall, the groundwater quality in the Xin’an River Basin was generally good, with only 7 samples with the EWQI values greater than 150, which exhibited poor groundwater quality. The primary factors influencing groundwater quality were the concentrations of I, Mn, and Al, which were predominantly affected by water–rock interactions. Groundwater quality in the Xin’an River Basin was mainly influenced by natural factors rather than anthropogenic activities. Both the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks posed by groundwater in the Xin’an River Basin were higher for children than for adults. The long-term chronic cumulative effect was the most important factor contributing to both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks. Iodine presented the highest non-carcinogenic health risks for both adults and children. In regions where high-iodine groundwater was distributed, it is recommended to enhance the monitoring of iodine concentrations in the groundwater. Full article
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26 pages, 9639 KB  
Article
Hydrochemical Characteristics and Evolution Laws of Groundwater in Huangshui River Basin, Qinghai
by Ziqi Wang, Ting Lu, Shengnan Li, Kexin Zhou, Yidong Gu, Bihui Wang and Yudong Lu
Water 2025, 17(9), 1349; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17091349 - 30 Apr 2025
Viewed by 495
Abstract
Groundwater plays a leading role in ecological environment protection in semi-arid regions. The Huangshui River Basin is located in the Tibetan Plateau and Loess Plateau transition zone of semi-arid areas. Its ecological environment is relatively fragile, and there is an urgent need for [...] Read more.
Groundwater plays a leading role in ecological environment protection in semi-arid regions. The Huangshui River Basin is located in the Tibetan Plateau and Loess Plateau transition zone of semi-arid areas. Its ecological environment is relatively fragile, and there is an urgent need for systematic study of the basin to develop a groundwater environment and realize the rational and efficient development of water resources. In this study, methodologically, we combined the following: 1. Field sampling (271 groundwater samples across the basin’s hydrogeological units); 2. Comprehensive laboratory analysis of major ions and physicochemical parameters; 3. Multivariate statistical analysis (Pearson correlation, descriptive statistics); 4. Geospatial techniques (ArcGIS kriging interpolation); 5. Hydrochemical modeling (Piper diagrams, Gibbs plots, PHREEQC simulations). Key findings reveal the following: 1. Groundwater is generally weakly alkaline (pH 6.94–8.91) with TDS ranging 155–10,387 mg/L; 2. Clear spatial trends: TDS and major ions (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl, SO42−) increase along flow paths; 3. Water types evolve from Ca-HCO3-dominant (upper reaches) to complex Ca-SO4/Ca-Cl mixtures (lower reaches); 4. Water–rock interactions dominate hydrochemical evolution, with secondary cation exchange effects; 5. PHREEQC modeling identifies dominant carbonate dissolution (mean SIcalcite = −0.32) with localized evaporite influences (SIgypsum up to 0.12). By combining theoretical calculations and experimental results, this study reveals distinct hydrochemical patterns and evolution mechanisms. The groundwater transitions from Ca-HCO3-type in upstream areas to complex Ca-SO4/Cl mixtures downstream, driven primarily by dissolution of gypsum and carbonate minerals. Total dissolved solids increase dramatically along flow paths (155–10,387 mg/L), with Na+ and SO42− showing the strongest correlation to mineralization (r > 0.9). Cation exchange processes and anthropogenic inputs further modify water chemistry in midstream regions. These findings establish a baseline for sustainable groundwater management in this ecologically vulnerable basin. Full article
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