Globally, climate risks to water security are growing. Over 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress (United Nations 2019) and about 4 billion people across the planet experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year (Mekonnen and Hoekstra 2016). Climate change is a key driver of growing water insecurity, and if the world continues on its current path, projections suggest that the world may face a 40% shortfall in water availability by 2030 (UNEP 2016). The nature of climate risk varies across regions, countries, and localities which have different degrees of hazard, levels of exposure, and response capacities.

Understandably, there is no single set of actions or strategies that any government, city, state, nation or transboundary organisation can take to ensure water security under the changing climate. Before climate risks became apparent, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) appeared and has remained a dominant solution to water management challenges. IWRM’s integrative approach is being adapted for system wide climate risk managemen.  Responses to climate risks, both within the worldview of IWRM and beyond, are emerging around the world, but are still not adequate, considering the likely changes in climate and the scenario of water demand in the projected trajectory of socio-economic development (Petit 2016).

With multiple, uncertain drivers of the future at play, a risk-based approach is warranted. A risk-based approach requires considering the full range of conditions to which a system might be exposed (Hall and Borgomeo 2013).  Resilience to risk can be strengthened through better understanding and managing interactions between institutions, knowledge, incentives, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Also, risks should be managed across the entire water cycle as water passes through social systems, industries, and the urban landscape. Knowledge and practice of climate risk management across the water sector still remains limited. Even when there is some progress on science, water governance still suffers from democratic engagement between government, stakeholders and citizens (Richter 2014). This Special Issue invites contributions that demonstrate new insights into principles, planning, policies, strategies, and operational solutions to managing climate risks to ensure water security. Papers can take any theoretical or methodological approaches but are encouraged to showcase examples from around the world.

References

Hall, Jim and Edoardo Borgomeo (2013). “Risk-based principles for defining and managing water security.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 371(2002): 20120407.

Mekonnen, Mesfin M and Arjen Y Hoekstra (2016). “Four billion people facing severe water scarcity.” Science advances 2(2): e1500323.

Petit, Olivier (2016). “Paradise lost? The difficulties in defining and monitoring Integrated Water Resources Management indicators.” Current opinion in environmental sustainability 21: 58-64.

Richter, B (2014). Chasing water: A guide for moving from scarcity to sustainability. Isladn Press

UNEP (2016). Options for decoupling economic growth from water use and water pollution: Summary for policy makers, UNEP and International Resource Panel.

United Nations (2019). Leaving No One Behind: United Nations World Water Development Report, UN Water, UNESCO and Partners

Dr. Hemant Raj Ojha
Prof. Nick Schofield
Dr. Rachael Mcdonnell
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 papers will be 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. Water 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 1800 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.

• Climate change
• Water security
• Integrated water resource management (IWRM)
• Water cycle management
• Nature based solutions
• Water and adaptation
• Water and disasters
• Urban water
• Water governance
• Water for sustainability