Observation and Modelling of Past, Current and Future Water Resources in Transboundary River Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Transboundary waters encompass aquifers, lakes, and river systems shared by two or more countries. These waters do not adhere to political boundaries, meaning water use, pollution, or overexploitation in one region can have significant consequences in other parts of the hydrological system. Effective transboundary water management is thus crucial to address pressing issues ranging from water scarcity and biodiversity protection to economic growth and peacekeeping.

Over half of the global population resides in transboundary basins. Given the diverse physical, political, and socio-economic contexts of these shared water bodies, integrated approaches and practices are needed to solve transboundary water problems, foster cooperation, and ensure sustainable management.

We welcome contributions on the following topics:

(1) The modelling and inter-comparison of different models (ranging from traditional hydrological models to innovative AI approaches and hybrid applications) for simulating water balance components and water quality, including climate change impact studies, sensitivity analyses, and uncertainty evaluations in transboundary river systems.

(2) The evaluation of performance and uncertainty of transboundary datasets of climate and hydrological characteristics, including remote sensing products and climate projections. We seek contributions that explore how remote sensing can help close the transboundary water data gap, offering cost-effective, scalable solutions for monitoring and assessing water resources across borders.

(3) Applications supporting the sustainable management of transboundary water, including water abstractions, water-savings, or water retention solutions in agriculture and industry.

(4) The development and implementation of joint monitoring and information systems, such as GIS-based databases, which facilitate effective cooperation in water-related risk reduction and transboundary resilience modelling. These include experiences with joint problem definition, creating a common understanding and evaluating the effectiveness of implemented strategies.

(5) The involvement of multi-level stakeholder engagement in shared water management. This includes capacity development, voluntary data collection through citizen science, participatory modelling, trust-building, and science-policy-driven decision-making.

Dr. Juraj Parajka
Dr. Zsolt Kozma
Dr. Peter Burek
Guest Editors

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