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Advances in Sustainable Management of the Water Environment

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Water Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 8643

Special Issue Editors

Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of Korea
Interests: environmental modeling; exponential technologies; human and water interactions; novel entities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Rural Construction Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonbuk 54896, Republic of Korea
Interests: measuring, modeling, and assessing agro-environmental impacts for sustainable agricultural systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to submit your original research and review articles to our Special Issue on "Advances in Sustainable Management of the Water Environment". This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for researchers to share their latest findings and insights on sustainable water management practices in order to address the pressing challenges of the water environment. As you are well aware, water is one of the most valuable resources on earth, and its management is becoming more challenging and complex due to a range of factors including the climate crisis, population growth, novel entities, and unsustainable water management practices. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to present innovative and effective solutions to ensure that the water environment is managed sustainably and equitably. We welcome original research and review articles that address various aspects of sustainable water management, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Climate change impacts and mitigation;
  • Exponential technologies for water management;
  • Integrated water resources management;
  • Monitoring and modeling of the water environment;
  • Stakeholder engagement;
  • Water governance;
  • Water quality management;
  • Water treatment technologies.

The Special Issue also emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, encompassing both the natural and social sciences. We are looking for high-quality research articles that will make a significant contribution to the field. We hope that this Special Issue will provide an opportunity for researchers to showcase their research, share their knowledge and expertise, and contribute to the ongoing efforts to achieve sustainable water management.

We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Hanseok Jeong
Dr. Chang-Gu Lee
Dr. Taeil ​Jang
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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.

Keywords

  • climate change
  • environmental functional materials
  • exponential technologies
  • water quality
  • water treatment
  • novel entities
  • monitoring
  • modeling

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4533 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Climate Change on the Water Systems of the Yesil River Basin in Northern Kazakhstan
by Anuarbek Kakabayev, Baurzhan Yessenzholov, Abilzhan Khussainov, Javier Rodrigo-Ilarri, María-Elena Rodrigo-Clavero, Gulmira Kyzdarbekova and Gulzhan Dankina
Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 15745; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215745 - 08 Nov 2023
Viewed by 597
Abstract
The geographical location of Kazakhstan, situated in the central part of the Eurasian continent, has played a crucial role in shaping a distinctly continental climate. This positioning has led to Kazakhstan facing a significant challenge in terms of water resource availability. The country’s [...] Read more.
The geographical location of Kazakhstan, situated in the central part of the Eurasian continent, has played a crucial role in shaping a distinctly continental climate. This positioning has led to Kazakhstan facing a significant challenge in terms of water resource availability. The country’s water resources are highly vulnerable to the dual pressures of climate change and human activities. It is noteworthy that the Yesil River basin is the sole region within Kazakhstan’s borders where water resources are predominantly generated, while all other river basins experience substantial outflows beyond the nation’s boundaries. This research undertaking involves a comprehensive analysis of long-term climatic data collected from meteorological stations located within the confines of the Yesil basin in Northern Kazakhstan. Additionally, the study encompasses the computation of water consumption and annual runoff within this region. Historical meteorological observations spanning from 1961 to 2020 reveal notable trends. Most significantly, a 1.2 °C increase in temperature is observed during the spring season. Winters have also become relatively milder and warmer, particularly towards the end of February, where temperatures have shifted from −16.2 °C in the first 30-year period to −14.6 °C in the second period. These findings underscore the ongoing climatic changes within the region, with significant implications for the management and sustainability of water resources in Kazakhstan. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Management of the Water Environment)
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17 pages, 2915 KiB  
Article
Variability of Extreme Events in Coastal and Inland Areas of South Korea during 1961–2020
by Swatantra Kumar Dubey, JungJin Kim, Syewoon Hwang, Younggu Her and Hanseok Jeong
Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12537; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612537 - 18 Aug 2023
Viewed by 671
Abstract
The increased concentrations of greenhouse gases have led to global warming and an increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Such changes in weather patterns may have unexpected implications for everyday life and water resource management in coastal and inland areas; thus, [...] Read more.
The increased concentrations of greenhouse gases have led to global warming and an increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Such changes in weather patterns may have unexpected implications for everyday life and water resource management in coastal and inland areas; thus, it is critical to understand the pattern of the changes. This study investigated how extreme weather events have changed in inland and coastal South Korea in the past 60 years (1961–2020) at different temporal scales, from monthly to yearly. This study quantified extreme weather events using multiple meteorological indices such as consecutive dry days (CDD), consecutive wet days (CWD), tropical nights, and icy and frosty days. The trends in the extreme weather indices were statistically tested using a non-parametric test. The results showed increases in the minimum and maximum air temperature and the frequency of warm and cold nights and days. The number of CDD and maximum five-day precipitation (RX5day) at the coastal and inland stations increased in the extreme precipitation-related index. The number of warm days and warm nights increased significantly at the majority of weather stations over the 60 year study period. The number of CWD increased during the selected period, but this was not statistically significant. In addition, we found that the temporal variations in the indices became greater over time, which implies the frequency and severity of extreme events such as drought and storm events may increase in the future. This study could help researchers determine the climatic areas at the selected stations that are critical for optimal water resource management planning and/or modeling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Management of the Water Environment)
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17 pages, 1923 KiB  
Article
Depicting Rubin’s Vase or Faces: Clarifying the Practical Value of Integrated Water Resource Management
by Tong Xu
Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10281; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310281 - 29 Jun 2023
Viewed by 735
Abstract
This paper responds to the significant challenges to Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and clarifies its practical value as a theoretical framework. Through thorough theoretical analysis, this paper examines how IWRM can be applied to distinguish water resource management (WRM) as an observable [...] Read more.
This paper responds to the significant challenges to Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and clarifies its practical value as a theoretical framework. Through thorough theoretical analysis, this paper examines how IWRM can be applied to distinguish water resource management (WRM) as an observable domain with an open boundary and foster sustainable ecosystem management by emphasizing the functional differentiation of WRM. Compared to the examination made solely from the WRM perspective, an IWRM perspective can better develop the structural complexity of the WRM domain and help expose misunderstandings regarding integration issues. Most importantly, IWRM is not merely an explanatory theoretical framework but also a defensive one. It can facilitate structural coupling between WRM and other domains to reduce conflicts and enable concerted action. However, this role of IWRM has been overlooked for a long time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Management of the Water Environment)
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Review

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24 pages, 3226 KiB  
Review
Removal of Inorganic Pollutants from Wastewater: Innovative Technologies and Toxicity Assessment
by Vinay Kumar, Munish Sharma, Sonica Sondhi, Komalpreet Kaur, Deepak Sharma, Shivali Sharma and Divya Utreja
Sustainability 2023, 15(23), 16376; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316376 - 28 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1372
Abstract
In the past decade, a sudden increase in the number and kind of emerging water contaminants has been observed. The emerging contaminants can be categorized as organic or inorganic. Organic contaminants have been known for years, and techniques for their detection and remediation [...] Read more.
In the past decade, a sudden increase in the number and kind of emerging water contaminants has been observed. The emerging contaminants can be categorized as organic or inorganic. Organic contaminants have been known for years, and techniques for their detection and remediation have been developed. However, inorganic pollutants are much more common. This is because they are detected in very low or negligible concentrations and are equally toxic as organic pollutants at higher concentrations. To boost the research on inorganic pollutant contamination, advancements in detection and quantification techniques are required. The presented paper discusses major inorganic pollutants such as metals and their salts, inorganic fertilizers, sulfides, acids and bases, and ammonia and oxides of nitrogen. In addition, it discusses the inorganic toxicants’ toxicity to organisms and the environment, upgraded quantification methods, and advancements in inorganic toxicant mitigation. Moreover, the major bottlenecks in the quantification and removal of inorganic pollutants are discussed at the end. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Management of the Water Environment)
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29 pages, 2416 KiB  
Review
Towards Sustainable Water Resources Management Considering Climate Change in the Case of Saudi Arabia
by Abdullah Alodah
Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 14674; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014674 - 10 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2389
Abstract
Saudi Arabia is one of the most water-scarce nations in the world, with a huge demand-supply gap, and the situation is expected to worsen due to climate change. Conventional surface water resources are limited, while nonrenewable groundwater sources are depleted. To build a [...] Read more.
Saudi Arabia is one of the most water-scarce nations in the world, with a huge demand-supply gap, and the situation is expected to worsen due to climate change. Conventional surface water resources are limited, while nonrenewable groundwater sources are depleted. To build a more resilient and sustainable water sector, the production of non-conventional water resources, specifically desalinated seawater and treated domestic wastewater, has steadily increased in recent years. As the country lacks perennial water resources, such as rivers or water bodies, it relies mainly on nonrenewable groundwater and desalinated water to meet its daily requirements. Although the government is attempting to regulate the agricultural sector, water consumption in agriculture remains relatively high. It presents an environmental challenge due to its heavy reliance on non-renewable groundwater resources. The anticipated increase in temperature and highly uncertain changes in the rainfall patterns in Saudi Arabia could lead to greater uncertainty when attempting to develop effective water resource management plans. In this work, we review the status of the present and future of water resources and the challenges local authorities face in managing water resources amidst a changing climate in Saudi Arabia. This study employed a narrative research methodology, utilizing various databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct, to extract relevant articles within the subject area. This study proposes a number of recommendations and conclusions aimed at improving decision-makers’ ability to adapt to and mitigate the anticipated adverse impacts of climate change to manage scarce water resources sustainably. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Management of the Water Environment)
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33 pages, 1630 KiB  
Review
A Retrospection on Mercury Contamination, Bioaccumulation, and Toxicity in Diverse Environments: Current Insights and Future Prospects
by Vinay Kumar, Mridul Umesh, Manoj Kumar Shanmugam, Pritha Chakraborty, Lucky Duhan, Sathyanarayana N. Gummadi, Ritu Pasrija, Iyyappan Jayaraj and Lohith Kumar Dasarahally Huligowda
Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13292; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813292 - 05 Sep 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2360
Abstract
Owing to various industrial applications of mercury (Hg), its release into the environment at high concentration is becoming a great threat to living organisms on a global scale. Human exposure to Hg is greatly correlated with contamination in the food chain through cereal [...] Read more.
Owing to various industrial applications of mercury (Hg), its release into the environment at high concentration is becoming a great threat to living organisms on a global scale. Human exposure to Hg is greatly correlated with contamination in the food chain through cereal crops and sea foods. Since Hg is a non-essential component and does not possess a biological role and exhibits carcinogenic and genotoxic behaviour, biomonitoring with a focus on biomagnification of higher living animals and plants is the need of the hour. This review traces the plausible relationship between Hg concentration, chemical form, exposure, bioavailability, bioaccumulation, distribution, and ecotoxicology. The toxicity with molecular mechanisms, oxidative stress (OS), protein alteration, genomic change, and enzymatic disruptions are discussed. In addition, this review also elaborates advanced strategies for reducing Hg contamination such as algal and phytoremediation, biochar application, catalytical oxidation, and immobilization. Furthermore, there are challenges to overcome and future perspectives considering Hg concentrations, biomarkers, and identification through the nature of exposures are recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Management of the Water Environment)
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