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Effect of Climate Change on Water Availability in Arid and...
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Effect of Climate Change on Water Availability in Arid and Semi-arid Regions

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2025) | Viewed by 3992

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ioannis Zarikos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Environmental Research Laboratory, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Ag. Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
Interests: alternative water resources; hydrogeology; climatic simulations; environmental sensors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change has significant and complex effects on water availability in arid and semi-arid regions, which are already characterized by low and variable precipitation. In these regions, particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, there are numerous water-related issues that need to be addressed:

  1. Changes in precipitation
  2. Hydrological cycle alterations
  3. Groundwater depletion and degradation
  4. Seawater intrusion in coastal areas
  5. Increased water demand

This Special Issue welcomes research articles and critical reviews advancing the knowledge on the negative effects of climate change on water resources in regions already affected by water scarcity and drought. Moreover, we encourage research articles focusing on water scarcity and drought mitigation practices, sustainable water usage and management, alternative water resources applications, and frameworks for water conservation and adaptation, among other.

Dr. Ioannis Zarikos
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

  • alternative water resources
  • hydrogeology
  • climatic simulations
  • environmental sensors
  • water management
  • integrated water resources management

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 21780 KiB  
Article
Spatio-Temporal Variation Characteristics of Grassland Water Use Efficiency and Its Response to Drought in China
by Mengxiang Xing, Liang Liu, Jianghua Zheng, Xinwei Wang and Wei Li
Water 2025, 17(8), 1134; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17081134 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 250
Abstract
Understanding the impact of drought on the water use efficiency (WUE) of grasslands is essential for comprehending the mechanisms of the carbon–water cycle in the context of global warming. Nevertheless, the cumulative and lagged effects of drought on WUE across different grassland types [...] Read more.
Understanding the impact of drought on the water use efficiency (WUE) of grasslands is essential for comprehending the mechanisms of the carbon–water cycle in the context of global warming. Nevertheless, the cumulative and lagged effects of drought on WUE across different grassland types in China remain unclear. This study investigates the cumulative and lagged effects of drought on WUE across different grassland types in China from 1982 to 2018. We employed the Sen-MK trend test and correlation analysis to identify the primary factors influencing the temporal effects of drought on WUE. The results indicated that WUE in Chinese grasslands, across various grassland types, exhibited an upward trend over time, with the most rapid increase observed in meadow. Drought had both cumulative and lagged effects on WUE, with cumulative effects lasting an average of 5.2 months and lagged effects lasting 6.1 months. Specifically, the cumulative effects of drought on WUE lasted for 5.6 months for alpine and subalpine meadow, slope, and desert grassland, whereas the lagged effects lasted 9 months for alpine and subalpine plain grassland. Furthermore, the influence of drought on WUE in grasslands varied across different grassland types and intensified with increasing altitude. The trends observed in the cumulative and lagged impacts of drought on WUE across various aridity index (AI) zones were consistent with those for grasslands as a whole. Our findings underscore that the response of WUE to drought in grasslands and their distinct types is primarily characterized by lagged effects. This research provides an important reference value for enhancing the stability of grassland ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Climate Change on Water Availability in Arid and Semi-arid Regions)
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20 pages, 8444 KiB  
Article
Distribution Characteristics of Spring Maize Meteorological Drought in Different Climatic Regions of Inner Mongolia Based on Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index
by Xiujuan Yang, Shuaishuai Qiao, Feng Yang, Yuyuan Huang, Congying Han, Xiao Chang, Shuiyuan Hao, Hui Qian, Xinwei Feng and Na Li
Water 2025, 17(7), 938; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17070938 - 24 Mar 2025
Viewed by 223
Abstract
Drought is a major meteorological disaster that affects the growth of spring maize in Inner Mongolia. Understanding the spatiotemporal characteristics of drought is crucial for maintaining crop production. This study categorized Inner Mongolia into five climatic regions based on geography and climate characteristics: [...] Read more.
Drought is a major meteorological disaster that affects the growth of spring maize in Inner Mongolia. Understanding the spatiotemporal characteristics of drought is crucial for maintaining crop production. This study categorized Inner Mongolia into five climatic regions based on geography and climate characteristics: hyper-arid, arid, semi-arid, dry and semi-humid, and moist and semi-humid, reflecting Regions I to V, respectively. Based on data collected from 107 meteorological stations, the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) was used to assess the characteristics of drought occurrence in different climatic regions during the spring maize growing season over the past 60 years, as well as the impact of drought on yield. SPEI decreased across all regions during growth periods, with mid-growth stages showing the smallest decline and a slight slowdown in drought severity. Spatially, 15 stations showed reduced drought during the early growth stage, which increased to 20 stations during the mid-growth stage. The overall drought trend of intensification was obtained across various climate regions, with Region I showing the most severe drought. The drought frequency during the growth period of spring maize ranged from 20% to 42%, and the drought frequency decreased from light drought, moderate drought, and severe drought to extreme drought. The drought range in each growth stage increased, with localized and regional drought dominating the region. The drought intensity also increased. Precipitation is the main factor affecting spring maize yield, and water replenishment during the early and middle stages of growth is crucial. These findings provide a basis for efficient water resource management in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Climate Change on Water Availability in Arid and Semi-arid Regions)
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13 pages, 419 KiB  
Systematic Review
The Adoption and Impact of Climate-Smart Water Management Technologies in Smallholder Farming Systems of Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Literature Review
by Welcome Ntokozo Sifisosami Zondo, Jorine Tafadzwa Ndoro and Victor Mlambo
Water 2024, 16(19), 2787; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16192787 - 1 Oct 2024
Viewed by 2620
Abstract
Agriculture plays a significant role in global water consumption, accounting for approximately 70% of the world’s freshwater usage. This makes this sector a critical factor in the depletion of water resources. Accordingly, this paper explores potential mitigatory impacts of climate-smart water management (CSWM) [...] Read more.
Agriculture plays a significant role in global water consumption, accounting for approximately 70% of the world’s freshwater usage. This makes this sector a critical factor in the depletion of water resources. Accordingly, this paper explores potential mitigatory impacts of climate-smart water management (CSWM) technologies in sub-Saharan Africa. About 70% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa is dependent on agriculture for sustaining their livelihoods. This is despite the low agricultural output in smallholder farming systems (SFS) due to water scarcity. This has spurred several attempts to promote the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) to raise agricultural outputs and improve smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. However, there has not been a comprehensive analysis of data categorised by various aspects of climate-smart water management technologies. In this systematic literature review, climate-smart water management technologies in sub-Saharan Africa’s agricultural sector were identified and analysed to determine strategies that could enhance their adoption and impact. To this end, academic articles reporting on the adoption of climate-smart water management technologies in databases were reviewed. Four significant literature databases were used. These were limited to Springer Link, ScienceDirect, MDPI, Wiley Online, and Google Scholar. The findings demonstrate that rainwater harvesting and micro-irrigation are the primary climate-smart water management technologies used by smallholder farmers. The literature review shows that adoption of CSWM practices is constrained by inadequate technological infrastructure, financial implications, unsuitable policies, and low user skills, particularly. It is therefore recommended that government agricultural departments and relevant advocates of CSA should incentivise and subsidise smallholder farmers to encourage CSWM technology adoption. This can be achieved through the implementation of suitable policies directed at technological infrastructure development, financial support for adoption, and technical skills training. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effect of Climate Change on Water Availability in Arid and Semi-arid Regions)
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