Water Management in the Age of Climate Change

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water is a precious and unique resource for agriculture, domestic use, industry, and ecosystems. Climate change includes extreme weather, prolonged droughts, severe floods, and shifting precipitation patterns. Freshwater only accounts for 3% of the water resources, among which much is inaccessible. Therefore, the effective utilization and optimal management of these scarce water resources is critical for ecosystem sustainability, human well-being, and economic growth. The degradation of freshwater ecosystems, intensified by competing demands from agriculture, industry, and urbanization, highlights the urgent need for innovative solutions.

This collection focuses on the key challenges brought on by the impact of climate change on water resource management, in addition to the integration of traditional practices with advanced tools such as numerical modeling, machine learning, and hydro-informatics. We welcome contributions addressing the following:

• Groundwater modeling and management under climate change;
• Surface water and groundwater interactions and allocation;
• Machine learning and simulations for hydrologic dynamics;
• Multiphysics and multiphase systems in water resource management;
• Restoration of freshwater ecosystems and environmental flows;
• Precise agriculture and water-saving technologies;
• GIS and remote sensing in water resource planning;
• Rainwater harvesting and green infrastructure solutions;
• Hydro-informatics and heuristic tools for decision-making.

We invite original research and reviews that advance sustainable water management and propose actionable solutions for these pressing challenges.

Prof. Dr. Yun Yang
Dr. Chong Chen
Dr. Hao Sun
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Agriculture agriculture	3.3	4.9	2011	19.2 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Remote Sensing remotesensing	4.2	8.3	2009	23.9 Days	CHF 2700	Submit
Sustainability sustainability	3.3	6.8	2009	19.7 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Water water	3.0	5.8	2009	17.5 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Hydrology hydrology	3.1	4.9	2014	15.3 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
Limnological Review limnolrev	-	1.6	2001	21.8 Days	CHF 1000	Submit
Earth earth	2.1	3.3	2020	23.7 Days	CHF 1200	Submit

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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All Agriculture Remote Sensing Sustainability Water Hydrology Limnological Review Earth

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29 pages, 28377 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Future Drought Characteristics Using Various Temporal Scales and Multiple Drought Indices over Mekong Basin Under Climate Changes

by Vo Quang Tuong, Bui Anh Kiet and Thu T. Pham

Water 2025, 17(10), 1507; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17101507 - 16 May 2025

Viewed by 97

Abstract

This study evaluates the performance of CMIP6 models in simulating drought characteristics in the Mekong region, including drought duration, intensity, and severity, using the SPI and SPEI indices. The results show that CMIP6 models are capable of accurately reproducing past drought conditions, with [...] Read more.

This study evaluates the performance of CMIP6 models in simulating drought characteristics in the Mekong region, including drought duration, intensity, and severity, using the SPI and SPEI indices. The results show that CMIP6 models are capable of accurately reproducing past drought conditions, with a high agreement between model data and actual data from ERA5. This study projects that future droughts will become more prolonged and severe which could lead to long-term agricultural and hydrological droughts tending to increase. In the SSP585 scenario, drought intensity will increase sharply in the southern and central regions by the end of the century. The SSP245 and SSP585 climate scenarios have distinct differences in drought trends, with SSP245 showing a strong drought trend, while SSP585 indicates a potential increase in precipitation. The SPEI indices show a clear improvement in wet conditions, with the highest drought variability in zone 2 and stable trends across scenarios. Ecosystems influence drought impacts and management needs. These results highlight the importance of accurately assessing drought characteristics to develop effective water resource and agricultural management measures, especially in the context of climate change. However, this study also points out some limitations, including the imperfect accuracy in future projections and the use of only SPI and SPEI indices without combining them with other indices which may reduce the comprehensiveness of drought impact assessment. This requires future studies to improve and expand to overcome the above limitations, thereby enhancing the reliability of drought forecasts and water resource management strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Water Management in the Age of Climate Change)

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16 pages, 3608 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Regional Practices and Their Effects on the Water Quality of Portuguese Reservoirs

by Ivo Pinto, Luísa Azevedo and Sara C. Antunes

Earth 2025, 6(2), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/earth6020029 - 15 Apr 2025

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Abstract

At the global level, numerous reservoirs exhibit a pronounced water degradation. Inadequate land use and climate change effects contribute to freshwater degradation and disrupt the ecosystem balances. This study aimed to evaluate the temporal and spatial effects of the surrounding area on two [...] Read more.

At the global level, numerous reservoirs exhibit a pronounced water degradation. Inadequate land use and climate change effects contribute to freshwater degradation and disrupt the ecosystem balances. This study aimed to evaluate the temporal and spatial effects of the surrounding area on two Portuguese reservoirs: Rabagão and Aguieira. For each reservoir sub-watershed scale, the evolution of land use and soil occupation and the pressures reported over the past decade were analyzed. Additionally, official records of water quality parameters were collected, and water quality was assessed according to the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Both reservoirs show anthropogenic pressure, reflected in the water quality. Rabagão has good water quality, associated with undeveloped lands (47%), agriculture (26%), and one pressure on the aquaculture sector. Aguieira is characterized by high nutrient concentrations, low transparency, and phytoplankton. This is linked to various land uses, including forestry (75%), and agriculture (19%), as well as multiple environmental pressures. Key contributors include urban discharge (27 sites) and water catchments allocated for agricultural purposes (89 sites) and others. The long-term data showed an increase in chlorophyll a concentration, water temperature, and pH values, and a decrease in the concentration of total phosphorus, but higher than the reference value. Additionally, the usage of the surrounding area of the hydrographic basin shows that it is extremely important for water quality and should be included in the WFD. Addressing the problems in the surrounding areas reservoirs is essential to adopting measures that improve water quality, therefore guaranteeing the health of the environment as expected under the One Health concept. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Water Management in the Age of Climate Change)

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27 pages, 11601 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Monitoring and Evaluation of Ecological Restoration Effectiveness: A Case Study of the Liaohe River Estuary Wetland

by Yongli Hou, Nanxiang Hu, Chao Teng, Lulin Zheng, Jiabing Zhang and Yifei Gong

Sustainability 2025, 17(7), 2973; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17072973 - 27 Mar 2025

Viewed by 344

Abstract

The Liaohe River Estuary Wetland, located in Panjin City, plays a critical role in reducing pollution loads, maintaining biodiversity, and ensuring ecological security in China’s coastal regions, contributing significantly to the implementation of the land–sea coordination strategy. As key components of ecological restoration [...] Read more.

The Liaohe River Estuary Wetland, located in Panjin City, plays a critical role in reducing pollution loads, maintaining biodiversity, and ensuring ecological security in China’s coastal regions, contributing significantly to the implementation of the land–sea coordination strategy. As key components of ecological restoration projects, monitoring and evaluating restoration effectiveness provide a reliable basis for decision-making and ecosystem management. This study established an innovative three-dimensional integrated monitoring and evaluation system combining satellite imagery, UAV aerial photography, and field sampling surveys, addressing the technical gaps in multi-scale and multi-dimensional dynamic ecological monitoring. Through systematic monitoring and the assessment of key indicators, including water environment, soil environment, biodiversity, water conservation capacity, and carbon sequestration capacity, we comprehensively evaluated the enhancement effects of ecological restoration projects on regional ecosystem structure, quality, and service functions. The findings demonstrated that the satellite–airborne–ground integrated monitoring technology significantly improved water quality and soil properties, enhanced soil–water conservation capabilities, and increased biodiversity indices and carbon sequestration potential. These results validate the scientific validity of ecological protection measures and the comprehensive benefits of restoration outcomes. The primary contributions of this research lie in the following: developing a novel monitoring framework that provides critical data support for decision-making, project acceptance, effectiveness evaluation, and adaptive management in ecological restoration; establishing transferable methodologies applicable not only to the Liaohe River Estuary wetlands, but also to similar ecosystems globally, showcasing broad applicability in ecological governance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Water Management in the Age of Climate Change)

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