Topic Editors

Department of Hydrology and Water Management, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-712 Poznań, Poland
CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia

Climate Change and Human Impact on Freshwater Water Resources: Rivers and Lakes, 2nd Edition

Abstract submission deadline
31 January 2027
Manuscript submission deadline
31 March 2027
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Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

The different patterns of phenomena observed in rivers (water stages, discharges, water temperature and chemistry, ice phenomena, etc.) in an average annual cycle, determined by climate and catchment properties, are relatively stable. Under the influence of changing climatic conditions and increasing human impact, a flow regime might destabilize and turn to another with sometimes quite different seasonal patterns, thus disturbing the established hydroecological conditions and availability of water resources. Depending on the sensitivity of a particular river regime model, its changes are temporarily and spatially diversified. In order to identify a change in any pattern (regardless of the reason), it is first necessary to adequately describe its initial state and the state after the transformation. There are diverse pattern recognition methods, and both supervised and unsupervised approaches can be applied to describe the flow regime patterns.

The hydrological regime of lakes can be analyzed in terms of their thermal conditions, formation of ice, and water levels. The quantitative, physical, and biological transformation of lake ecosystems may result from both natural (changes in precipitation, evaporation, etc.) and human-induced (water intakes and discharges, hydraulic structures) processes. The lake regimes in many regions of the world have been destabilized by intensive land use and the regulation of water relations. Fluctuations in water levels, and thus changes in the lake area and the amount of stored water in the lake, are crucial in many physical–chemical (mixing, dissolution of substances, water transparency, etc.), biological (extent of ecotone zones, extent of photic zone, etc.), and economic (possibility of water withdrawals for industrial, domestic, agricultural purposes, etc.) processes.

The main aim of this Special Issue is to share the results of research on the impact of climate change and human activity on the characteristics of the flow regime of rivers in different regions of the world, mainly in terms of the transformation of the flow regime characteristics, their stability and predictability, and quantitative and qualitative assessments of water resources. Papers focusing on methods of change detection and classifying river regimes are particularly invited.

At the same time, this Special Issue addresses the impact of climate change and human activity on the lake regime characteristics in various regions of the world, mainly in terms of long-term changes in the amount of water resources, seasonal changes in water levels, and thermal and ice conditions.

Prof. Dr. Leszek Sobkowiak
Dr. David Post
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • flow regime
  • flow seasonality
  • thermal conditions
  • water chemistry
  • ice phenomena
  • climate change
  • human activity
  • methods of detection changes and classifying river regimes
  • regime of lake water levels
  • thermal conditions
  • thermal stratification
  • ice phenomena
  • lake ecosystems
  • changes in lake water resources
  • changes in lake area

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Sustainability
sustainability
3.3 7.7 2009 17.9 Days CHF 2400 Submit
Water
water
3.0 6.0 2009 18.9 Days CHF 2600 Submit
Climate
climate
3.2 5.7 2013 20.8 Days CHF 1800 Submit
Hydrology
hydrology
3.2 5.9 2014 17.9 Days CHF 1800 Submit
Earth
earth
3.4 5.9 2020 21.3 Days CHF 1400 Submit

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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13 pages, 935 KB  
Review
Diel Variability of CO2 and CH4 from Inland Waters: Patterns, Drivers, and Implications
by Lingling Li, Jiale Zhu, Yunqiao Shao, Yuwen Qian and Renhua Yan
Water 2026, 18(3), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18030415 - 5 Feb 2026
Abstract
Inland waters exhibit pronounced temporal variability in CO2 and CH4 emissions. However, existing research has predominantly focused on seasonal to interannual scales, with most field measurements conducted during daytime hours. Consequently, diel (24 h) emission dynamics remain poorly characterized. This study [...] Read more.
Inland waters exhibit pronounced temporal variability in CO2 and CH4 emissions. However, existing research has predominantly focused on seasonal to interannual scales, with most field measurements conducted during daytime hours. Consequently, diel (24 h) emission dynamics remain poorly characterized. This study synthesizes current knowledge on diel variations in CO2 and CH4 fluxes across inland water bodies—including rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds—with particular attention to day–night contrasts. Based on the limited available data, the average day-to-night flux ratios are 0.87 for CO2 and 1.44 for CH4. Exclusive reliance on daytime sampling may therefore underestimate daily CO2 emissions by approximately 13% while overestimating CH4 emissions by a similar magnitude. Diel fluctuations in water temperature and wind speed—driving corresponding changes in surface water gas concentrations and air–water gas transfer velocity—represent primary controls on these emission patterns. Secondary influences include solar radiation, dissolved oxygen, pH, and nutrient availability. Future efforts should prioritize high-frequency monitoring of diel carbon emission cycles and mechanistic analysis of their drivers, ultimately enabling the development of large-scale models that explicitly incorporate diel dynamics. Such advances are essential for accurate quantification and correction of carbon emissions from inland waters at regional to global scales. Full article
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12 pages, 5839 KB  
Article
Climate Change-Driven Shoreline Dynamics and Sustainable Fisheries: Future Projections from the Lake Van Case (Türkiye)
by Mustafa AkkuÅŸ
Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1611; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031611 - 5 Feb 2026
Abstract
Shoreline variations in closed-basin lakes are closely linked to hydrological fluctuations and long-term changes in water balance, making them important indicators of environmental change. This study analyzes historical shoreline dynamics in Lake Van (Türkiye), the world’s largest soda lake, and provides scenario-based shoreline [...] Read more.
Shoreline variations in closed-basin lakes are closely linked to hydrological fluctuations and long-term changes in water balance, making them important indicators of environmental change. This study analyzes historical shoreline dynamics in Lake Van (Türkiye), the world’s largest soda lake, and provides scenario-based shoreline projections for 2032 and 2042 to support hydrological assessment and water-related management. Multi-temporal Landsat satellite images from 1982, 1992, 2002, 2012, and 2022 were processed using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS 5.0) to quantify shoreline retreat and accretion, while future shoreline positions were estimated using the Kalman filter model. The results show pronounced spatial variability, with the most significant shoreline retreat observed in the Çelebibağ and Karahan regions, where sediment supplied by major inflowing streams contributes to shoreline instability through reworking and redistribution rather than stable accretion. Net shoreline movement values reached −2580.1 m for erosion and up to 1700 m for accretion. Model projections indicate an increasing trend of shoreline retreat by 2032 and 2042, accompanied by localized accretion zones. These hydrological-driven shoreline changes have potential implications for littoral habitats, water–land interactions, and human use of the shoreline, including fisheries infrastructure. The study demonstrates the value of integrating remote sensing and statistical forecasting for monitoring shoreline dynamics in closed-basin lake systems. Full article
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