Announcements

22 March marks World Water Day, a global observance dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of water resources. The theme for World Water Day 2025, “Glacier Preservation”, underscores the critical role glaciers play in sustaining life on Earth. Glaciers are vital natural reservoirs, providing meltwater that is essential for drinking water, agriculture, industry, clean energy production, and the health of ecosystems. However, the rapid melting of glaciers due to climate change is creating uncertainty in water availability, with profound consequences for communities, economies, and the planet.

As glaciers shrink, the world faces increasing risks of water scarcity, disruption to ecosystems, and heightened vulnerability to natural disasters. Protecting these frozen water resources is not just an environmental imperative but a necessity for ensuring a sustainable future.

Echoing the mission of safeguarding glaciers for generations to come, MDPI’s established journals in the Environmental and Earth Sciences field serve as leading platforms for scientific communication. By sharing cutting-edge research and practical solutions, MDPI contributes to global efforts to address the water crisis and protect these invaluable natural assets.

Join us in celebrating World Water Day 2025 and supporting initiatives that prioritize glacier preservation. Together, we can work toward a future where water resources are protected, ecosystems thrive, and communities are resilient in the face of climate challenges.

Feel free to register for this webinar here!

“Physical Vulnerability of The Gambia’s Coastline in the Context of Climate Change”
by Muhammad Leroy Albert Gomez, Kissao Gnandi, Chrétien Ngouanet, Ibrahima Pouye and Joshua Ntajal
World 2025, 6(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/world6010017

“Segmentation of Glacier Area Using U-Net through Landsat Satellite Imagery for Quantification of Glacier Recession and Its Impact on Marine Systems”
by Edmund Robbins, Robert D. Breininger, Maxwell Jiang, Michelle Madera, Ryan T. White and Nezamoddin N. Kachouie
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(10), 1788; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12101788

“Evaluating Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Water Scarcity Mitigation in Small Greek Islands under Climate Change”
by Elissavet Feloni and Panagiotis T. Nastos
Sustainability 2024, 16(6), 2592; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062592

“Snow Water Equivalent Monitoring—A Review of Large-Scale Remote Sensing Applications”
by Samuel Schilling, Andreas Dietz and Claudia Kuenzer
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(6), 1085; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16061085

“Ecosystem Services Supply from Peri-Urban Watersheds in Greece: Soil Conservation and Water Retention”
by Stefanos Stefanidis, Nikolaos Proutsos, Vasileios Alexandridis and Giorgos Mallinis
Land 2024, 13(6), 765; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060765

“Comparison of Multiple Methods for Supraglacial Melt-Lake Volume Estimation in Western Greenland During the 2021 Summer Melt Season”
by Nathan Rowley, Wesley Rancher and Christopher Karmosky
Glacies 2024, 1(2), 92-110; https://doi.org/10.3390/glacies1020007

“Microbial Community Abundance and Metabolism Close to the Ice-Water Interface of the Blomstrandbreen Glacier (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard): A Sampling Survey Using an Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle”
by Maria Papale, Gabriella Caruso, Giovanna Maimone, Rosabruna La Ferla, Angelina Lo Giudice, Alessandro Ciro Rappazzo, Alessandro Cosenza, Filippo Azzaro, Roberta Ferretti, Rodolfo Paranhos et al.
Water 2023, 15(3), 556; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15030556

“Projected Future Flooding Pattern of Wabash River in Indiana and Fountain Creek in Colorado: An Assessment Utilizing Bias-Corrected CMIP6 Climate Data”
by Swarupa Paudel, Neekita Joshi and Ajay Kalra
Forecasting 2023, 5(2), 405-423; https://doi.org/10.3390/forecast5020022

“Mountain Cryosphere Landscapes in South America: Value and Protection”
by Sebastián Ruiz-Pereira, Voltaire Alvarado Peterson and Darío Trombotto Liaudat
Conservation 2023, 3(1), 232-246; https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation3010017

“Diversity and Variability of the Course of Ice Phenomena on the Lakes Located in the Southern and Eastern Part of the Baltic Sea Catchment Area”
by Rajmund Skowron, Pavel Kirvel, Adam Choiński and Ivan Kirvel
Limnol. Rev. 2023, 23(1), 33-49; https://doi.org/10.3390/limnolrev23010003

The International Day of Forests, observed annually on 21 March, highlights the indispensable role forests play in sustaining life on Earth. Forests are pillars of global food security and nutrition, providing livelihoods for millions of families worldwide. They are a vital source of essential foods for indigenous and rural communities, offering fruits, nuts, and other resources that are integral to their diets and cultures. Beyond food, forests are a cornerstone of sustainable energy, agriculture, and environmental health. They support pollinators, enrich soil, regulate the climate, and conserve biodiversity, making them critical to the balance of our planet's ecosystems. 

However, deforestation, climate change, and unsustainable practices threaten forests and the countless benefits they provide. In alignment with the 2025 theme for International Day of Forests, “Forests and Food” and Goal 13 of the SDG Publishers Compact: Climate Action,  MDPI’s established journals in Section “Environmental and Earth Sciences” serve as vital platforms for scientific communication to recognize the urgent need to protect and restore these natural treasures. 

Join us in celebrating International Day of Forests and supporting initiatives that protect these vital ecosystems. Together, we can work toward a future where forests continue to nourish and sustain life for generations to come. 

Invited speakers: 

  Feel free to register for this webinar here! 

“Forest Fire Prediction: A Spatial Machine Learning and Neural Network Approach”
by Sanjeev Sharma and Puskar Khanal
Fire 2024, 7(6), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7060205 

“High-Severity Wildfires Alter Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Foraging Assemblage Structure in Montane Coniferous Forests and Grasslands in the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA”
by Jonathan Knudsen, Robert Parmenter, Theodore Sumnicht and Robin Verble
Conservation 2024, 4(4), 830-846; https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation4040049 

“Aboveground Biomass and Carbon Storage in Mangrove Forests in Southeastern Mexico”
by Carlos Roberto Ávila-Acosta, Marivel Domínguez-Domínguez, César Jesús Vázquez-Navarrete, Rocío Guadalupe Acosta-Pech and Pablo Martínez-Zurimendi
Resources 2024, 13(3), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources13030041 

“A Nature-Based Approach Using Felled Burnt Logs to Enhance Forest Recovery Post-Fire and Reduce Erosion Phenomena in the Mediterranean Area”
by Giuseppe Bombino, Daniela D’Agostino, Pasquale A. Marziliano, Pedro Pérez Cutillas, Salvatore Praticò, Andrea R. Proto, Leonardo M. Manti, Giuseppina Lofaro and Santo M. Zimbone
Land 2024, 13(2), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020236 

“Effects of Climate Change on Greek Forests: A Review”
by Panagiotis P. Koulelis, Nikolaos Proutsos, Alexandra D. Solomou, Evangelia V. Avramidou, Ermioni Malliarou, Miltiadis Athanasiou, Gavriil Xanthopoulos and Panos V. Petrakis
Atmosphere 2023, 14(7), 1155; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14071155 

“Assisted Migration of Sequoiadendron Genotypes for Conservation and Timber: Performance and Morphology in a Warmer Climate Outside of Their Range”
by Christopher M. Valness, William J. Libby and John-Pascal Berrill
Conservation 2023, 3(4), 543-568; https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation3040035 

“Analysis of Accelerometer Data Using Random Forest Models to Classify the Behavior of a Wild Nocturnal Primate: Javan Slow Loris (Nycticebus javanicus)”
by Amanda Hathaway, Marco Campera, Katherine Hedger, Marianna Chimienti, Esther Adinda, Nabil Ahmad, Muhammed Ali Imron and K. A. I. Nekaris
Ecologies 2023, 4(4), 636-653; https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies4040042 

“Pinus contorta Alters Microenvironmental Conditions and Reduces Plant Diversity in Patagonian Ecosystems”
by Rafael A. García, Eduardo Fuentes-Lillo, Lohengrin Cavieres, Ana J. Cóbar-Carranza, Kimberley T. Davis, Matías Naour, Martín A. Núñez, Bruce D. Maxwell, Jonas J. Lembrechts and Aníbal Pauchard
Diversity 2023, 15(3), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030320 

“Characterizing the Change of Annual Cone Production in Longleaf Pine Forests”
by Xiongwen Chen and John L. Willis
Seeds 2023, 2(2), 220-231; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds2020017 

“Physiological Potential of Seeds of Handroanthus spongiosus (Rizzini) S. Grose (Bignoniaceae) Determined by the Tetrazolium Test”
by Jailton de Jesus Silva, Raquel Araujo Gomes, Maria Aparecida Rodrigues Ferreira, Claudineia Regina Pelacani and Bárbara França Dantas
Seeds 2023, 2(2), 208-219; https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds2020016

Glaciers are among the most important components of the Earth’s cryosphere, serving as natural reservoirs of freshwater, regulators of sea levels, and indicators of climate variability. Their role in sustaining ecosystems and human societies is unparalleled, yet they are increasingly threatened by rising global temperatures.

The scientific evidence underscores the alarming rate of glacier retreat, with profound implications for water security, sea-level rise, and the frequency of climate-related hazards such as floods and landslides. The loss of these ice masses not only disrupts hydrological cycles but also poses significant challenges to communities and economies worldwide.

Date: 19 March 2025 at 9 a.m. CET | 3 a.m. EDT | 4 p.m. CST
Webinar ID: 851 1794 7801
Website: https://sciforum.net/event/WDFG2025

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations made with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable attend? Register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch online.

Register now for free!

Program:

Webinar Speakers:

• Dr. Abror Gafurov, GFZ German Research Centre for Geoscience, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany;
• Dr. Danilo Godone, Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, Torino, Italy.

MDPI is pleased to announce our participation in the 2025 AAG Annual Meeting (AAG 2025), held from 24 to 28 March 2025 in Detroit, MI, USA.

AAG 2025 will revolve around the theme of “Making Spaces of Possibility”. It will bring together geographers of many perspectives and specialties to learn from Detroit, envisioning solutions for the region it is part of and for places around the world.

To make spaces of possibility is to leverage geographic insight, knowledge, and tools to counter the historical legacies of racial exclusion and (settler) colonialism; to address current threats to democracy and the environment; and to work toward climate justice.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the event:

• Remote Sensing;
• Sustainability;
• Earth;
• Geographies;
• Climate;
• Hydrology;
• Land;
• Water;
• Fire;
• Atmosphere;
• World;
• Drones;
• Geomatics;
• Quaternary.

If you are attending AAG 2025, we invite you to visit us at booth #111. Our representatives, Mr. Elvis Wang and Ms. Sofia Zelko, will be available to discuss publishing opportunities, the benefits of open access, and our commitment to advancing geosciences research.

For more information about the conference, please visit its official website: https://www.aag.org/events/aag2025/.

Conference: BSA Annual Conference 2025

Organization: British Sociological Association

Date: 23–25 April 2025

Location: Manchester, UK

This conference will celebrate the work of sociology and its positive influence on individual lives and social transformations, exploring the nature of and responses to local and global challenges and changes in a supportive environment. This is a chance to contribute to critical discourse on the profound transformations shaping our world. Engage with leading scholars and network with peers who are equally passionate about understanding and influencing social change.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Societies;
• World;
• Social Sciences;
• Challenges.

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have.

MDPI is pleased to share a significant milestone in its mission to advance scholarly research and promote the dissemination of knowledge—300+ MDPI journals are now indexed in Web of Science (WoS). This milestone highlights the global recognition, interdisciplinary impact and enhanced visibility of our journals. It also reflects our adherence to rigorous editorial standards, scientific integrity, and our mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines. 

To explore the full list of our journals indexed in WoS, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals/wos. Beyond expanding the coverage of our publications in the leading academic databases, we are dedicated to ensuring that our journals are included in as many scope-specific databases as possible. This increases the visibility of our authors’ work and extends the reach of their significant data. 

This milestone would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of our academic editors, reviewers and authors. Their commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in creating an inclusive, accessible, and impactful publishing platform. We also extend our gratitude to the global research community for their trust as we continue to break new ground in academic publishing. This milestone is not just a celebration of MDPI’s progress but also recognition of the collective strides made by researchers worldwide. 

As we celebrate this remarkable accomplishment, MDPI remains steadfast in its commitment to open access publishing and ensuring that high-quality research reaches and inspires a global audience.

Conference: 120th ASA Annual Meeting (ASA 2025)
Organization: American Sociological Association
Date: 8–12 August 2025
Place: Hyatt Regency Chicago and the Swissotel Chicago, Chicago, USA
Booth ID: #541

MDPI journals will be attending ASA 2025 as exhibitors. This meeting will be held in Chicago, USA, from 8 to 12 August 2025.

The annual meeting of the American Sociological Association provides an opportunity for professionals involved in the scientific study of society to share knowledge and new directions in research and practice. Nearly 600 programmatic sessions are convened, providing a scholarly outlet for more than 3,000 research papers, over 4,500 presenters, and 5,000 attendees. Each year, the ASA’s President chooses a theme on which to focus some of the programming for the ASA Annual Meeting. President Adia M. Harvey Wingfield has chosen the theme “Reimagining the Future of Work”.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Social Sciences;
• Genealogy;
• Behavioral Sciences;
• Psychology International;
• World;
• Youth;
• Religions;
• Disabilities;
• EJIHPE;
• Merits;
• Societies.

If you will be attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.asanet.org/2025-annual-meeting/.

The World Day of Social Justice is an international day recognizing the need to promote social justice. It includes efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion, gender inequality, unemployment, human rights, and social protection. The United Nations General Assembly decided to observe 20 February annually (approved on 26 November 2007 and starting in 2009) as being the World Day of Social Justice.

Momentum is growing for the concept that advancing social justice should be the central aim guiding all national and international policies. This idea has gained traction among proponents who argue it enables societies and economies to function more cohesively when social justice is prioritized.

Supporters contend that promoting decent work and a fair globalization agenda focused on fundamental rights, employment opportunities, social protections, and constructive social dialogue between governments, employers, and workers is key to maintaining social justice as a core value.

In celebration of this day, we invite you to explore a curation of insightful articles, journals, and Special Issues across various fields, including social sciences, business, and economics. By sharing these findings, we hope to inspire transformative policies of social justice, advocate for more inclusive practices, and contribute to a more sustainable and compassionate global society.

“Towards a “Social Justice Ecosystem Framework” for Enhancing Livelihoods and Sustainability in Pastoralist Communities”
by Charles Fonchingong Che and Henry Ngenyam Bang
Societies 2024, 14(11), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14110239

“Can We Measure Social Justice? Development and Initial Validation of a Tool Measuring Social Justice Through Values”
by Marina Alexandra Tudoran, Laurențiu Gabriel Țîru and Alexandru Neagoe
Societies 2024, 14(11), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14110238

“Inclusion in Immersion Education: Identifying and Supporting Students with Additional Educational Needs”
by Sinéad Nic Aindriú
Encyclopedia 2024, 4(4), 1496-1508; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia4040097

“Contributions of Municipal Initiatives to Digital Health Equity”
by Fernando Almeida
World 2024, 5(4), 1165-1180; https://doi.org/10.3390/world5040059

“Bringing a Social Justice Lens to Matthews’ Five Propositions for Genuine Students-as-Partners Practice: A Narrative Review”
by Ruth L. Healey
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(11), 577; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13110577

“Advancing Planetary Health Through Interspecies Justice: A Rapid Review”
by Kira L. Johnson, Maya K. Gislason, Diego S. Silva, Maxwell J. Smith and Chris Buse
Challenges 2024, 15(4), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe15040045

“Naturalistic Decision-Making in Intentional Communities: Insights from Youth, Disabled Persons, and Children on Achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for Equality, Peace, and Justice”
by Carol Nash
Challenges 2024, 15(3), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/challe15030038

“Toward Sustainable Development: Assessing the Effects of Financial Contagion on Human Well-Being in Romania”
by Ionuț Nica, Irina Georgescu, Camelia Delcea and Nora Chiriță
Risks 2023, 11(11), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/risks11110204

““I’m Not Asking for Special Treatment, I’m Asking for Access”: Experiences of University Students with Disabilities in Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa”
by Dureyah Abrahams, Beata Batorowicz, Peter Ndaa, Sumaya Gabriels, Solomon M. Abebe, Xiaolin Xu and Heather M. Aldersey
Disabilities 2023, 3(1), 114-128; https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities3010009

“Applying the ‘Human Rights Model of Disability’ to Informed Consent: Experiences and Reflections from the SHAPES Project”
by Richard Lombard-Vance, Evelyn Soye, Delia Ferri, Emma McEvoy, Malcolm MacLachlan and Sari Sarlio-Siintola
Disabilities 2023, 3(1), 28-47; https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities3010003

“Youth Justice: Social Policy, Social Work and Practice”	“Interconnection Between Environmental Issues and Social Justice”

MDPI, a pioneer in scholarly open access publishing, and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Singapore, proudly announce the successful conclusion of the first edition the MDPI Early Career Researcher Awards. The awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to medical and biomedical research, were presented to six exceptional researchers during an awards ceremony held at LKCMedicine HQ Building on 28 November 2024.

Honoring Excellence in Research

The awards recognize exceptional postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students who have demonstrated outstanding originality, innovation, and impact in their respective fields. We are honored to announce the winners of the 2024 edition:

Early Career Researcher (Postdoc) Award:

• Dr. Theresia Handayani Mina, “Adiposity and Metabolic Health in Asian Populations: An Epidemiological Study Using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Singapore”;
• Dr. Erfan Rezvani Ghomi, “Wound Healing Improvement by Novel Aligned Antimicrobial Nanofibrous 3D Scaffolds”;
• Dr. Yadollah Ranjbar Slamloo, “Functional Alterations of The Prefrontal Circuit Underlying Cognitive Aging in Mice”.

Early Career Researcher (Ph.D.) Award:

• Pritisha Rozario, “Mechanistic Basis for Potassium Efflux-Driven Activation of the Human NLRP1 Inflammasome”;

• Michelle Law Cheok Yien, “Chikungunya Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 is a Versatile RNA Capping and Decapping Enzyme”;
• Yin Ruoyu, “The Use of Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Tools in Older Adults: A Mixed Method Study”.

Our collaboration highlights a shared commitment to recognizing exceptional talent and research within the academic community, addressing today’s healthcare challenges, and inspiring continued innovation.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Building on the success of the first edition, MDPI and LKCMedicine are excited to announce that the 2025 MDPI Early Researcher Awards will continue to celebrate excellence and innovation in medical research. The next edition promises to expand its scope, introducing new categories and providing even greater recognition for impactful research.

Further details on the 2025 awards, including nomination criteria and timelines, will be shared in the coming months. We remain committed to fostering a culture of research excellence and collaboration within the global scientific community.