Sustainable integrated water resources management

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Special Issue on: “Integrated Water Resources Management in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas”

In an increasing number of countries, in arid and semi-arid areas, water scarcity and deteriorating quality of natural water sources have become critical factors limiting national economic development, expansion of food production and/or provision of basic health and hygiene services to the population. There is an increasing urgency to develop new scientific means for sustainable management of water resources, and to offer solutions for improving living and working conditions for the present and future generations. Sustainable integrated water resources management is a concept that emphasises the need for a multi-disciplinary study of changing demands in the exploited water ecosystems which considers the development without their degradation in a long-term perspective as well as at the present. The purpose of this special issue is to better understand the key aspects of the sustainable management of water resources in arid and semi-arid area, to construct new mathematical and physical models using modern instruments of system engineering, management science, and information technologies, and to attempt to determine what is needed to improve effective water resources management in arid and semi-arid areas. We invite submissions of articles for consideration; manuscripts may be technical, conceptual, case-studies, policy or practice oriented and can range from original research to overviews, assessments, and reviews.