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Water Management and Efficiency for Sustainable Development Strategies

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2022) | Viewed by 8504

Special Issue Editors

Department of Management, Finance and Technology, LUM-“Giuseppe Degennaro” University, 70010 Casamassima, Italy
Interests: sustainability; green marketing; agrifood; energy; consumer behaviour
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Agro-Environmental and Territorial Sciences, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: sustainable development; agrifood; life cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Economics and Management, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: econometrics; economics; efficiency and productivity
Department of Management, Finance and Technology, University LUM Giuseppe Degennaro, 70010 Casamassima, Italy
Interests: sustainability management; innovation; green marketing; energy; quantitative research

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water is one of the most important strategic natural resources for social and economic development. In the last few decades, attention toward its use has grown in a considerable way, with water scarcity becoming a concrete problem to face. Observing all production systems, it is urgently necessary to introduce more efficient and sustainable practices. In this context, the debate is actual and open. There are different solutions that could be adopted, considering the double perspective of production and consumption. Some sectors, such as agriculture and energy, are highly involved in this process, but consumers have also been called to a new consciousness toward this resource. Several elements such as climate change, global warming, and ecosystem unbalances are compromising water availability, too. Therefore, it is useful to search for new and shared strategies and practices to change direction.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide a real contribution to this debate by providing relevant evidence from the scientific, economic, and managerial points of view for the better use of fresh water, assessing all possible solutions. Contributions that focus on technologies, operations management, or reuse systems will be welcome. Moreover, it will be a pleasure to accept works where the social value of water is also evaluated, since water is the first, and necessary, element for human life.

Prof. Domenico Morrone
Prof. Rocco Roma
Prof. Francesco Manta
Prof. Pierluigi Toma
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

  • water
  • fresh water
  • water scarcity
  • water management
  • energy–water nexus
  • water footprint
  • food–water nexus
  • water efficiency
  • sustainability

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1976 KiB  
Article
Systematic Modeling and Policy Analysis on the Urban Water–Energy Nexus for Sustainable Resources Management
by Yongsheng Wang, Chenhuan Kou and Xujun Zhai
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15724; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142315724 - 25 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 862
Abstract
Urbanization in developing countries has imposed great pressure on the availability of water and energy (WE) resources, while single-sector strategies may cause several unanticipated consequences. To find sustainable solutions for resource management, this study develops an integrated approach to assess urban WE from [...] Read more.
Urbanization in developing countries has imposed great pressure on the availability of water and energy (WE) resources, while single-sector strategies may cause several unanticipated consequences. To find sustainable solutions for resource management, this study develops an integrated approach to assess urban WE from a nexus perspective. With the city Shenzhen as a case study, the existing WE nexus on the supply and demand sides of urban areas is first quantified. Subsequently, a system dynamics model (SDM) is constructed to reveal the complex interactions in the urban nexus, and the trends of WE supply and demand by 2035 are simulated. To narrow the potential resources gap, a policy analysis considering the interest and influence of various stakeholders is conducted to formulate policy scenarios. As revealed from the results, the resources gap will expand continuously by 2035, especially for water resources. Compared to the demand side, the policies implemented on the supply side exhibit a better performance, and the scenario of import expansion could independently achieve the desirable result. Moreover, as the demand side displayed more complexities, the implementation of future policies should rigorously weigh the priorities and difficulties of a range of stakeholders’ involvements. Full article
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15 pages, 491 KiB  
Article
Crop Diversification and Resilience of Drought-Resistant Species in Semi-Arid Areas: An Economic and Environmental Analysis
by Annalisa De Boni, Antonia D’Amico, Claudio Acciani and Rocco Roma
Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9552; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14159552 - 03 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2203
Abstract
Specialization and intensification in agriculture have increased productivity but have also led to the spread of monocultural systems, simplifying production but reducing genetic diversity. The purpose of this study was to propose crop diversification as a tool to increase biodiversity and achieve sustainable [...] Read more.
Specialization and intensification in agriculture have increased productivity but have also led to the spread of monocultural systems, simplifying production but reducing genetic diversity. The purpose of this study was to propose crop diversification as a tool to increase biodiversity and achieve sustainable and resilient intensive agriculture, particularly in areas with water scarcity. In this paper, a combined life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) applied to evaluate the environmental and economic sustainability of a differentiated system of cultivation were (pomegranates, almonds and olives), according to modern intensive and super-intensive cropping systems. Based on the results obtained, it is deduced that pomegranate cultivation generated the highest environmental load, followed by almonds and olives. From the financial analysis, it emerged that almond farming is the most profitable, followed by pomegranate and olive farming. Full article
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21 pages, 835 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Efficiency of Water Distribution Network Sectors Using the DEA-Weight Russell Directional Distance Model: The Case of the City of Valencia (Spain)
by José Antonio Palomero-González, Vicent Almenar-Llongo and Ramón Fuentes-Pascual
Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10546; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su131910546 - 23 Sep 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2346
Abstract
In many cities, sectorization projects of the drinking water distribution network have been implemented. This study provides a methodology to evaluate the efficiency of the sectors of a water distribution network by applying a data envelopment analysis weighted Russell directional distance (DEA-WRDD) model. [...] Read more.
In many cities, sectorization projects of the drinking water distribution network have been implemented. This study provides a methodology to evaluate the efficiency of the sectors of a water distribution network by applying a data envelopment analysis weighted Russell directional distance (DEA-WRDD) model. This non-radial DEA model gives the overall efficiency of each unit of analysis, as well as each input, output, and undesirable output considered in the evaluation. The variables used in the analysis provide a multidisciplinary view: economic factors (covering costs), water quality parameters, and technical aspects. The empirical analysis was performed for the sectors of the water distribution network of the city of Valencia (Spain) for the year 2016. In this particular case, the results showed that approximately half of the sectors were efficient. The efficiency values of each variable indicate that the main challenges (faced by the water distribution company) were the optimization of maintenance costs and the reduction of leaks, both of which have an impact on the quality of the distributed water. So, the purpose of this article is to highlight the usefulness of efficiency analysis to help the decision making of managers of sectorized water distribution networks so that they can optimize the management. Full article
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Review

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17 pages, 3834 KiB  
Review
Pertinent Water-Saving Management Strategies for Sustainable Turfgrass in the Desert U.S. Southwest
by Desalegn D. Serba, Reagan W. Hejl, Worku Burayu, Kai Umeda, Bradley Shaun Bushman and Clinton F. Williams
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12722; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141912722 - 06 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1733
Abstract
Drought and heat stresses are major challenges for turfgrass management in the desert southwest of the United States where rainfall is insufficient to support managed turfgrass growth. Irrigation water availability and its quality are increasingly strained due to diminishing surface water supplies. Unprecedented [...] Read more.
Drought and heat stresses are major challenges for turfgrass management in the desert southwest of the United States where rainfall is insufficient to support managed turfgrass growth. Irrigation water availability and its quality are increasingly strained due to diminishing surface water supplies. Unprecedented drought conditions threaten the reliance on groundwater supplies that are heavily scrutinized for irrigation practices on landscape and recreational turfgrass. Therefore, development of drought tolerant cultivars, lower input turf management strategies that sustains turfgrass appearance and performance with less irrigation water, and tolerance to higher seasonal temperatures will be critically important. Sustainability of acceptable quality turfgrass can be accomplished through harnessing the natural genetic variation, genetic manipulation using modern genomic technology, and optimizing turfgrass management practices for improved drought tolerance. Besides persistent efforts of varietal development and improved turfgrass management for drought tolerance and performance, redefining the quality of irrigated turfgrass for consumers to align with the environmental conditions is envisioned to foster a sustainable golf, sports fields, and landscape turfgrass industry in the region. A comprehensive study encompassing different turfgrass species and enhancing management practices to achieve acceptable performing turfgrass as well as outreach education to improve public perception of realities for a “green” environment will be critically important. The recent developments in turfgrass science and contemporary communication platforms are instrumental in increasing awareness for a sustainable turfgrass paradigm and sustain eco-tourism of the region. Full article
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