Water Security for Sustainable Development
Guest Editors: Ankit Agarwal, Ashutosh Sharma, Archana Sarkar, Ashish Pandey and Arun Kumar
Water security is emerging as a primary tenet in the sustainability debate globally, as water forms the fundamental link between the climate, human society, and the natural environment. Realizing water security is the biggest challenge of researchers and policymakers in the 21st century, particularly with growing concerns of climate change impacts on already stressed water systems. Population growth, unconstrained water use, and climate change-induced water-related disaster shocks pose increasing water resources risks. As per the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human-induced climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. Continued global warming is projected to intensify further the global water cycle, including its variability, global monsoon precipitation and the severity of wet and dry events. In response to the growing risks, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have a dedicated goal for securing water resources (SDG 6) to 'ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all' to maintain safe access to water, addresses water scarcity, sanitation, and risks to sustainable use of water.
Understanding water security and its multiple facets underpin sustainable water resource management and a key social development component. Detailed and accurate information that can enrich understanding of the causes and determinants of water security in environmental, natural and societal aspects, including climate, environment, energy, economy, and public health, is needed to guide decision making around potential adaptation mitigation solutions. Keeping in view the importance of Water Security for Sustainable Development, it is necessary to identify the key issues and challenges to promote SDGs globally.
Science and scientific research play a crucial role in achieving water security goals integrated and equitably and guide policies. This special issue is primarily prompted by these realizations and an implied aspiration to assimilate the learnings from different disciplines covering various facets of water security.
We invite authors to review and synthesise articles that aim to study water security and its multiple facets underpinning sustainable water resource management, especially in climate change response, water governance vis-a-vis policy aspects, and critical social development components.
Broadly authors are requested to submit short review articles for consideration in the following subthemes
Water Security aims to publish papers that contribute to a better understanding of the economic, social, biophysical, technological, ecological and institutional influencers of current and future global water security. This includes cross cutting themes that highlight the intersection between climate and water, energy, and food security, as well as biodiversity and ecosystem functions. At the same time the journal intends to stimulate debate, backed by science, with strong interdisciplinary connections. A review article will summarize the current state of understanding on a topic, offering a critical evaluation of the literature, and highlight important issues and trends in that area. Synthesis articles make a sincere effort to capture the key questions, identify the gaps in our knowledge today, and suggest new approaches or ideas. Please see our Guide for Authors for specific instructions before submitting your review for consideration.
Papers will be considered by the Editors and the Editorial Review Board on the basis of proposed rationale and scope, international composition of authors, and thematic/topical complementarity within the issue. Selected authors will be notified and receive an official invitation from the journal.
The schedule for preparation of this issue is as follows:
Online-first publication immediately following review/revision process once accepted
We invite you to submit your full length paper to: Roorkee Water Conclave coordinator by 05-08-2022 at:
Ankit Agarwal by 31st January at: info.rwc@iitr.ac.in cc to: ankit.agarwal@hy.iitr.ac.in clearly marked: Water Security for Sustainable Development Abstract Submission – (Author surname).