Climate Change Adaptation and Water Governance
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: 25 May 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editor
Interests: arst; groundwater modelling; climate change; geothermal; hydraulics; mining; contaminated land; fractured rocks
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Water governance and climate change are inextricably linked, forming one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. Water governance refers to the political, social, economic, and administrative systems that influence the use and management of water resources. Climate change disrupts this through its impact on the hydrological cycle, leading to more frequent and intense droughts, floods, and storms. These events make water availability less predictable, affecting its quality and quantity.
Effective water governance in the face of climate change requires a holistic, integrated approach. It goes beyond simple resource management and includes the following:
- Policy and legal frameworks;
- Institutional capacity;
- Economic tools;
- Technological solutions.
The relationship between water governance and climate change raises several critical topics and questions:
- Adaptation and Resilience: How can water governance be used as a tool to help societies adapt to climate change? What strategies can build resilience to extreme weather events like droughts and floods?
- Equity and Social Justice: How do climate change impacts on water disproportionately affect marginalized and vulnerable communities? What governance mechanisms can ensure fair and equitable access to water for all?
- Policy Integration: How can water governance be better integrated with other sectors and policies, such as land-use planning and agricultural practices, to create a more cohesive and sustainable approach?
- The Science–Policy Interface: How can we improve the connection between scientific data on climate change and the policies and decisions made by water managers and governments?
- Infrastructure and Technology: How can investment in new and existing water infrastructure, along with the use of technology, help us manage water more effectively in a changing climate?
Dr. Attila Kovacs
Guest Editor
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 governance
- climate change
- water resources
- water policy
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
