Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Sediment Movement, Sustainable Water Conservancy and Water Transport

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Water Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 9761

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Junhong Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Key Laboratory of Resources Conversion and Pollution Control of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, College of Resources and Environmental Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: sediment transport; fluvial processes; sediment dynamics; numerical modeling

Dr. Lingling Zhu

E-Mail
Guest Editor

Bureau of Hydrology, Changjiang Water Resources Commission, Wuhan 430010, China
Interests: sediment transport; river evolution; river numerical simulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Yunping Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Tianjin Research Institute for Water Transport Engineering, Tianjin 300456, China
Interests: sediment transport; river evolution; flood disaster; estuarine and coastal science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Dangwei Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
Interests: flow and sediment transport; river evolution; sediment flocculation; numerical model of sediment transport; reservior sedimentation; reservior regulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, sediment transport has been a hot issue for sedimentologists to study. Especially in water conservancy and water transportation engineering, the changes in the topography of rivers, lakes, and estuaries caused by sediment movement are of great interest. Human activities have an increasingly important influence on the sediment movement of watersheds and rivers. The water resource development in large river terraces has greatly changed the water and sediment movement patterns in the upstream and downstream dams. Thus, increasing anthropogenic interventions affect rivers' hydrological processes and sediment dynamics and threaten the habitat structure and aquatic ecosystem diversity. An improved understanding of hydrological, hydrodynamic, and sediment transport and morphological processes is needed to address these challenges. Moreover, there is an urgent need to improve predictive models to increase the prediction accuracy of streambed evolution.

This Special Issue aims to bring together recent theoretical and applied research on a wide range of topics related to flow and water quality processes in modeling river and coastal watershed systems from the catchment to the coast, for example, innovative studies that use new monitoring, modeling, or analytical techniques to investigate the reciprocal response mechanisms of sediment movement under complex conditions a well as hydraulic engineering and water transport engineering applications. This Special Issue of Sustainability calls for innovative research papers on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Impacts of runoff and sediment transport variations;
(2) Sediment budget and sediment yields;
(3) Riverbed evolutionary process;
(4) Impacts of dams on the upstream and downstream hydrological conditions;
(5) Impacts of hydrological changes on morphological changes;
(6) Movement characteristics of suspended sediment and bed load sediment;
(7) Spatiotemporal morphological changes and the associated influences;
(8) Impacts of morphological changes on hydraulic structure and flood risk;
(8) Impacts of morphological changes on waterway maintenance;
(9) Variations in fluvial processes;
(10) Understanding grain size distribution changes and the associated morphological response;
(11) Natural and anthropogenic impacts on the morphological changes;
(12) River morphology and river ecosystem restoration;
(13) Riverbed incision, bank erosion, and coastal erosion;
(14) Improving the accuracy of riverbed evolution prediction;
(15) Quantifying hydro-morphological responses to the multi-objective optimal reservoir scheduling.

Dr. Junhong Zhang
Dr. Lingling Zhu
Dr. Yunping Yang
Dr. Dangwei Wang
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

coastal, estuarine, and river dynamics
numerical modeling
laboratory modeling and experimental studies
hydrodynamic processes
sediment transport and morphology
water conservancy
environmental hydraulics
sediment dynamics
morphodynamics
sediment budget

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (8 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

26 pages, 5264 KB

Open AccessArticle

Incorporating Sediment Compaction into Reservoir Sedimentation Estimates Using Machine Learning: Case Study of the Xiluodu Reservoir

by Guozheng Feng, Xiujun Dong, Wanbing Peng, Zhenyong Sun, Jun Li and Jinhua Nie

Sustainability 2026, 18(7), 3249; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18073249 - 26 Mar 2026

Viewed by 448

Abstract

Hydropower is a cornerstone of global renewable energy; however, reservoir sedimentation directly undermines its benefits and operational lifespan. A critical, often overlooked, aspect of sedimentation is the compaction of fine-grained deposits, which introduces systematic discrepancies between standard siltation calculation methods. This study addresses this gap by developing a machine learning-based model to quantify sediment compaction and correct siltation estimates using the Xiluodu Hydropower Station on the Jinsha River, China, as a case study from 2014 to 2020. Based on hydrological, sediment, and fixed-section monitoring data, we applied five machine learning algorithms (Linear Regression, Neural Network, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, and Support Vector Regression) to establish a relationship between the compaction thickness and the following key predictors: Year, Cumulative Sediment Thickness, Annual Sediment Thickness, and Distance to the Dam. The results demonstrate that the Neural Network (NN) model significantly outperforms traditional models, effectively capturing complex, nonlinear compaction dynamics with strong predictive accuracy (test R² = 0.766, RMSE = 0.047 m) and no significant overfitting. SHAP analysis revealed the dominant influences of consolidation time (years) and overburden stress (Cumulative Sediment Thickness), linking the model’s predictions to fundamental geotechnical principles. Applying the NN model to correct for the cross-sectional volume method markedly improved its consistency with the independent sediment transport method, reducing the average relative difference from −33.7% to −6.5% (2016–2020). This study provides the first quantitative, continuous (198 km, 221 sections) assessment of reservoir-scale sediment compaction, confirming its widespread existence and demonstrating its critical role in the long-standing methodological discrepancies. Our study transformed compaction from an acknowledged phenomenon into a quantifiable correction, offering a novel, data-driven framework to enhance the accuracy of reservoir sedimentation assessments globally. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sediment Movement, Sustainable Water Conservancy and Water Transport)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 1684 KB

Open AccessArticle

Simulation of Soil Erosion on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau Under Future Climate Scenarios Based on the SSPs-RUSLE Coupled Model

by Jiaqi Liu, Hongliang Wu, Jingyi Wang and Feng Yan

Sustainability 2026, 18(6), 2928; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18062928 - 17 Mar 2026

Viewed by 427

Abstract

Soil erosion on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau (YGP) has a significant impact on the water sources and ecological safety of Southeast Asia and South China. With the influence of climate change, this erosion has been altered, which will create uncertainty regarding soil erosion management and social development in China and Southeast Asia. However, existing research still lacks simulations of soil erosion in large-scale regions, as well as a systematic understanding of the spatiotemporal characteristics of future soil erosion under climate change. Therefore, a coupled model of the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) at the regional scale of the YGP is proposed in this study. By analyzing the erosion patterns in the YGP, this research determines the optimal future scenario and corresponding mitigation strategies, thereby offering a localized practical reference for soil erosion control in the YGP and its alignment with the UN SDGs. The results show the following: (i) Temporally, soil erosion on the YGP will improve in the future. The overall soil erosion moduli of the YGP decrease by 196.86, 367.03, and 391.72 t/(km²·a) under the scenarios of SSPs1-1.9, SSPs2-4.5, and SPPs5-8.5, respectively. (ii) Spatially, soil erosion in the southwestern and central-northern parts of the YGP will be significantly improved in the future. The soil erosion moduli of the karstic and non-karstic areas gradually become close to each other, with the difference in soil erosion moduli between them in SSPs1-1.9, SSPs2-4.5, and SSPs5-8.5 being reduced from 671.65 t/(km²·a) to 623.79, 592.21, and 611.92 t/(km²·a), respectively. (iii) Among the different SSP scenarios, the SSPs2-4.5 scenario aligns most closely with the principles of sustainable development, making it the most desirable pathway. To ensure the long-term effectiveness of soil erosion control under changing climate and socioeconomic conditions, future strategies should take the SSPs2-4.5 scenario as a core reference and implement resilient portfolios of mitigation measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sediment Movement, Sustainable Water Conservancy and Water Transport)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 13969 KB

Open AccessArticle

Evolution and Drivers of the Anabranching Lower North River, Pearl River Basin, China: Insights from Remote Sensing and Hydrological Observations During 1990–2022

by Xiao Zhao, Heqing Huang, Jing Qiu, Zhilin Zhang, Qingya Li and Jingjing Zhu

Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1706; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031706 - 6 Feb 2026

Viewed by 497

Abstract

The Lower North River (LNR) exhibits a distinctive anabranching pattern in the Pearl River Basin, China. However, research has predominantly focused on vertical channel adjustments relying on in situ measurements, while the large-scale spatiotemporal dynamics of the anabranching planform have received limited attention. To address this gap, this study quantified the evolution of the anabranching planform from 1990 to 2022 using remote sensing images, focusing on anabranching intensity and island morphology, and analyzed driving factors using hydrological observations. Results revealed three evolutionary phases driven by shifting dominance of human interventions. During the first phase (1990–2004), the LNR experienced a moderate decline in anabranching intensity and widespread shrinkage of river islands, primarily attributed to sediment starvation induced by upstream dams. In the second phase (2004–2013), the decline in anabranching intensity accelerated and the proportion of expanding islands increased, driven by unregulated sand mining and channel regulation. In the third phase (2013–2022), the rapid decline in anabranching intensity decelerated and the islands shifted from a shrinkage-dominated to a stable-dominated state following the implementation of strict mining management and the physical confinement imposed by engineering structures. These findings reveal distinct morphological responses of the LNR to flow–sediment regimes and anthropogenic physical interventions, offering insights into the sustainable management of large anabranching rivers worldwide in the Anthropocene. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sediment Movement, Sustainable Water Conservancy and Water Transport)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 2027 KB

Open AccessArticle

Estimation of Reducing Unit Abrasion by Sediment Regulation Measures of Pumped Storage Power Stations on Sediment-Laden Rivers

by Qiumeng Xu and Xiaoming Zha

Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 11277; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172411277 - 16 Dec 2025

Viewed by 553

Abstract

Pumped storage power stations (PSPSs) are crucial regulators for accelerating the global energy structure transformation and developing a renewable energy-dominated power system. The sediment entering the reservoirs leads to capacity loss, while the fine-grained sediment carried by water during pumping and power generation can cause cavitation in penstocks and abrasion of turbine blades, which may lead to frequent shutdowns for overhaul. Taking a pumped storage power station as an example, whose lower reservoir is on a sediment-laden river, this study simulates the sediment concentration and its particle size through turbines under different sediment regulation measures. The unit abrasion rate and overhaul cycle are further predicted. The results indicate that the sediment concentration through turbines (SCT) and the suspended sediment transport rate entering the lower reservoir are positively correlated. The higher the SCT, the coarser the sediment particle size through turbines. For the lower reservoir with delta or conical sedimentation patterns, lowering the water level and shutting down pumping during sediment peak processes can free up the effective storage capacity, reduce the SCT by approximately 26%, and extend the overhaul cycle to 1.5 times. The study also systematically introduces a practical and feasible method for predicting SCT and turbine blade abrasion, servicing for the sustainability of PSPSs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sediment Movement, Sustainable Water Conservancy and Water Transport)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 5915 KB

Open AccessArticle

Evolution Trend and Cause Analysis of Diversion Characteristics of Three Outlets Along Jingjiang River Under New Flow and Sediment Conditions

by Dong Wang, Tao Zhou, Jiaze Fan, Zhengyang Tang and Yongqiang Wang

Sustainability 2025, 17(18), 8285; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188285 - 15 Sep 2025

Viewed by 757

Abstract

Changes in the diversion characteristics of three outlets along Jingjiang River are of vital importance to the adjustment of river–lake relationships. This study analyzed the mechanism of periodic changes in the diversion ratio of the three outlets along the Jingjiang River after the storage of the Three Gorges Reservoir. It used the latest measured flow and sediment data. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of changes in the main stream regime at the three outlets along the Jingjiang River and the erosion and deposition trend of the floodway at the three outlets. On such a basis, the contribution ratio of three factors was analyzed quantitatively. These factors are Jingjiang River runoff reduction, reservoir regulation action, and diversion capacity drop. This analysis comprehensively considered the diversion capacity of the floodway at three outlets. It also considered the annual runoff volume and runoff process of the Jingjiang River mainstream. The purpose was to reveal the change laws of water resource quantity and response mechanism of Dongting Lake area under the new flow and sediment conditions. This will provide technical support for the sustainable management of water resources in the basin and the adaptive operation of reservoirs. The analysis results indicated that the diversion volume reduction at the three outlets along Jingjiang River is jointly caused by the regulation of the Three Gorges Reservoir and the runoff volume of the incoming flows of Jingjiang River. Seen from the proportion, the reservoir regulation action takes up 35% before the Three Gorges Reservoir is filled to 175 m, and less runoff of Jingjiang River takes up 65%; after the reservoir runs normally when filled to 175 m, the reservoir regulation action takes up 63%, the proportion of the diversion capacity drop of the three outlets causing diversion volume reduction takes up 2.5%, and less runoff of Jingjiang River takes up 34.5%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sediment Movement, Sustainable Water Conservancy and Water Transport)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2100 KB

Open AccessArticle

Response of Han River Estuary Discharge to Hydrological Process Changes in the Tributary–Mainstem Confluence Zone

by Shuo Ouyang, Changjiang Xu, Weifeng Xu, Junhong Zhang, Weiya Huang, Cuiping Yang and Yao Yue

Sustainability 2025, 17(14), 6507; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146507 - 16 Jul 2025

Viewed by 1491

Abstract

This study investigates the dynamic response mechanisms of discharge capacity in the Han River Estuary to hydrological process changes at the Yangtze–Han River confluence. By constructing a one-dimensional hydrodynamic model for the 265 km Xinglong–Hankou reach, we quantitatively decouple the synergistic effects of riverbed scouring (mean annual incision rate: 0.12 m) and Three Gorges Dam (TGD) operation through four orthogonal scenarios. Key findings reveal: (1) Riverbed incision dominates discharge variation (annual mean contribution >84%), enhancing flood conveyance efficiency with a peak flow increase of 21.3 m³/s during July–September; (2) TGD regulation exhibits spatiotemporal intermittency, contributing 25–36% during impoundment periods (September–October) by reducing Yangtze backwater effects; (3) Nonlinear interactions between drivers reconfigure flow paths—antagonism occurs at low confluence ratios (R < 0.15, e.g., Cd increases to 45 under TGD but decreases to 8 under incision), while synergy at high ratios (R > 0.25) reduces Hanchuan Station flow by 13.84 m³/s; (4) The 180–265 km confluence-proximal zone is identified as a sensitive area, where coupled drivers amplify water surface gradients to −1.41 × 10⁻³ m/km (2.3× upstream) and velocity increments to 0.0027 m/s. The proposed “Natural/Anthropogenic Dual-Stressor Framework” elucidates estuary discharge mechanisms under intensive human interference, providing critical insights for flood control and trans-basin water resource management in tide-free estuaries globally. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sediment Movement, Sustainable Water Conservancy and Water Transport)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3907 KB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study on the Anti-Scouring Characteristics of Bedrock in Engineering Reservoir Areas That Are Conducive to Sustainable Development

by Zhijing Li, Yisen Wang, Shiming Yao, Zhongwu Jin and Zhixinghua Hu

Sustainability 2025, 17(3), 977; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17030977 - 25 Jan 2025

Viewed by 2510

Abstract

High-speed water flow conditions can cause erosion of the bedrock in engineering areas. Due to the lack of accurate evaluation of bedrock scour and erosion rates, there has been a consumption of manpower and resources without achieving satisfactory engineering outcomes. Therefore, studying the scouring and erosion effects of water flow on bedrock is of significant importance for maintaining the sustainable development and safety of engineering projects. Using the bedrock prototype from the Xiaonanhai site in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, a model test device was developed to conduct anti-scour tests on the bedrock. The study quantitatively examined the basic physical properties, incipient erosion velocity, and erosion rates of different types of bedrock. The study found that the prototype bedrock under natural exposure, submerged immersion, and alternating wet and dry conditions showed a trend of decreased tensile strength, with the alternating wet and dry conditions being the most detrimental to maintaining the physical properties of the rock mass. The anti-scour velocity of silty claystone and clayey siltstone samples increased with the increase in tensile strength, and the erosion rate increased with the increase in shear stress. If the shear stress is kept constant, the erosion rate decreases with the increase in tensile strength. The erosion rate is inversely proportional to the ratio of the bedrock’s tensile strength to the riverbed shear stress, with the fitting relationship showing a piecewise linear distribution. The research results can provide guidance for the safe production of engineering involving bedrock erosion in engineering reservoir areas that are conducive to sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sediment Movement, Sustainable Water Conservancy and Water Transport)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 4196 KB

Open AccessArticle

Riverbed Adjustments in Gravel–Sand Reaches Immediately Downstream of Large Reservoirs

by Sixuan Li, Lingling Zhu, Jing Yuan, Bingjiang Dong, Chaonan Lv and Chenggang Yang

Sustainability 2024, 16(24), 11245; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162411245 - 21 Dec 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1845

Abstract

The operation of large reservoirs significantly modifies flow–sediment regimes, and the reaches immediately downstream of the dams are the first to undergo responsive channel adjustments. Considering that the geomorphological responses are directly related to the flood control safety, channel stability and other sustainable functions of rivers, this paper explores the similarities and dissimilarities of the channel adjustments in the two reaches with gravel–sand beds immediately downstream of the Xiangjiaba reservoir and the Three Gorges Dam, respectively. The results show that major erosion primarily occurred during the initial years of reservoir impoundment. And then with the prominent reduction in washable sediment on the riverbed, the erosion intensity further weakened. It takes 6 to 13 years for the two reaches to reach a new state of relative equilibrium. In comparison, after the equilibrium state has been achieved, the reach with significant tributary sediment inflows exhibits alternating erosion and deposition dynamics, while the other remains relatively stable. The tributaries that transport a large amount of sediment during floods are the main sources of sediment deposition in the downstream reaches of the Xiangjiaba reservoir. However, the tributary inflow of the Qing River with low sediment concentrations has little impact on the riverbed evolution of the reaches from Yichang to Zhicheng immediately downstream of the Three Gorges Dam. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of geomorphic adjustments near dams in response to upstream damming. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sediment Movement, Sustainable Water Conservancy and Water Transport)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Sediment Movement, Sustainable Water Conservancy and Water Transport

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (8 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI