Resilience and Risk Management in Urban Water Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Urban water systems comprose the infrastructure and management systems for the water supply, wastewater, and stormwater in urban areas, including their related technical, institutional, and governance aspects. Urban water systems are increasingly challenged by climate change, rapid urbanization, aging infrastructure, and emerging risks such as cyber threats and supply chain disruptions. These factors necessitate a shift from traditional, rigid infrastructure models to adaptive, resilient, and integrated systems that can withstand and recover from diverse stressors.

This Special Issue seeks to explore innovative strategies and interdisciplinary approaches to enhance the resilience and risk management of urban water systems. We invite contributions that address the following themes:

• Resilience Frameworks and Assessment Tools: Development and application of hydraulic, hydrologic, or economic models and metrics to evaluate and enhance the resilience and performance of urban water infrastructure.
• Integrated Water Management: Approaches that consider the interconnectivity of water supply, wastewater, and stormwater systems, promoting holistic management practices.
• Nature-Based and Green Infrastructure Solutions: Implementation of green roofs, permeable pavements, and urban wetlands to, ideally, mitigate flood risks and enhance water quality.
• Technological Innovations: Possible utilization of smart technologies, including digital twins, IoT, and AI, for real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and efficient water management.
• Policy and Governance: Examination of regulatory frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and governance models that support resilient urban water systems.

Prof. Dr. Bryan Karney
Dr. Ahmad Malekpour
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.