Dear Colleagues,

Following the successful publication of our first volume, which focused on the dynamics of droughts and their impacts, we are excited to announce the call for papers for the second volume of our Special Issue. In this volume, we aim to continue exploring the same primary theme of “Environmental Footprints of Drought: Focusing on Emerging Issues and Their Underlying Mechanisms” while encouraging the application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques and methods, as well as give a platform to research on the interplay between droughts and heatwave events.

In recent years, AI has emerged as a powerful tool across various scientific domains, offering new insights and innovative solutions to complex problems. As we delve deeper into the study of droughts, we recognize the potential of AI in enhancing our understanding of drought patterns, improving prediction accuracy, and developing effective adaptation strategies. Therefore, we encourage researchers to incorporate AI methodologies and explore their application in studying droughts. Additionally, the interplay between droughts and heatwave events is of great importance, as these climate phenomena often reinforce each other, leading to amplified impacts on ecosystems, agriculture, water resources, and human well-being. Therefore, studies investigating the intertwined dynamics, feedback mechanisms, and potential adaptation measures between droughts and heatwaves are highly encouraged.

Therefore, we invite original research papers, reviews, and case studies that align with the primary focus of the first volume while also highlighting the application of AI techniques and methods. Contributions may cover various local–regional scales and utilize diverse data sources, including observational data, modeling studies, and remote sensing data. Our goal is to foster interdisciplinary research and advance our understanding of the complex dynamics of drought (events), ultimately contributing to effective decision-making and risk reduction in the face of these climatic challenges.

Dr. Jinping Liu
Dr. Quoc Bao Pham
Dr. Arfan Arshad
Dr. Masoud Jafari Shalamzari
Dr. Yanqun Ren
Guest Editors

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. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2400 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.

• roles of atmospheric circulation pattens in the development of droughts
• natural and anthropogenic influences
• climate extremes
• hydrological extremes
• land–atmosphere interactions (emergent risks associated with droughts)
• drought vulnerability, risk, and impact assessments
• sensitivity and adaptive capacity of environmental systems
• weather hazards and warning systems
• compound droughts
• drought increases CO₂ footprints
• drought increases water scarcity
• effects on agricultural systems
• downscaling of climate projections to inform drought conditions over local scale
• numerical simulation models, resilience strategies, and decision-making tools
• interplay between droughts and heatwaves
• artificial intelligence (AI) techniques and methods

• Environmental Footprints of Drought: Focusing on Emerging Issues and Their Underlying Mechanisms in Atmosphere (14 articles)