Dear Colleagues,

The climate change observed and projected in the 21st century, including an increase in air temperature and evaporation rate, affects the on-going shifts regarding water circulation in various ecosystems. This in turn poses new challenges with respect to managing water resources—their quality and quantity—in order to ensure the preservation of water ecosystems, as well as natural and anthropogenic ecosystems that are dependent on water.

In natural and seminatural landscapes it is recommended that the adverse effects of diminishing water resources be counteracted by employing various methods of water retention. Furthermore it is important to pursue sustainable water management in order to minimize the wastage of water and improve its quality.

Rural areas call for the development of a new agriculture model—one predicated on the production of high-quality food, as well as on the preservation and support of biodiversity, and the protection of climate and water resources. Thus, rational water management in agriculture paired with proper support for providing solutions to problems that arise are important aspects of sustainable water management.

Urban landscapes, on the other hand, require strengthening the role of water ecosystems in shaping sustainable cities, developing modern solutions for flood control, as well as establishing proper instruments for the strategic planning and management of water in urban areas.

Furthermore, it is of key importance that inhabitants of all the above-mentioned landscapes are educated in and well informed about rational practices in water management, as well as the role of water resources in sustainable development.

In this context, this Special Issue aims to gather a collection of noteworthy studies that combine the aforementioned concepts dealing with:

• Numerical/experimental studies considering the effects of climate change and human impact on water quantity and quality;
• Methodologies and/or case studies concerning water protection in terms of its quantity and quality;
• Optimization of water management aimed at mitigating adverse effects of climate change;
• Methodologies and/or case studies concerning sustainable water management in natural, seminatural, and anthropogenic landscapes;
• Methodologies and/or case studies concerning the analysis and optimization of water consumption;
• Methodologies and/or case studies concerning education on sustainable water management, and the inclusion of local communities in its optimization.

Prof. Dr. Danuta Szumińska
Prof. Dr. Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle
Dr. Marta Gwiaździska-Goraj
Guest Editors

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• climate changes
• water resources
• water quality
• sustainable water management
• water protection
• protection of water and wetland ecosystems
• natural, semi-natural, and anthropogenic landscapes
• rural areas
• retention water deficits
• water use
• sustainable water management education