Announcements

In alignment with International Water Day, the journal Water (ISSN: 2073-4441) is presenting a webinar, which is open to all who enjoy conducting any type of research on the topic of “Glacier and Ice Cap Disequilibrium: Underscores Relevance of Preservation Focus” or are passionate about learning about this exciting and competitive research area. The webinar speakers will present new findings from basic to translational research. Any interesting ideas for topics and speakers for this webinar are most welcome.

Keywords: mountain glaciers, climate change, gravimetric study, geodetic study, glaciological study
Date: 21 March 2025 4:00 p.m. CET | 8:00 a.m. PDT | 11:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 880 7776 1591
Website: https://sciforum.net/event/MWWD25

Register now for free!

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available to view.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Prof. Dr. Mauri Pelto, Environmental Science, Nichols College, Dudley, MA, USA;
• Dr. Prajjwal Panday, Environmental Science, Nichols College, Dudley, MA, USA;
• Dr. Laura Thomson, Department of Geography and Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.

The Editor-in-Chief and Section Editors-in-Chief online meeting of Water (ISSN: 2073-4441, IF: 3.0) was successfully held on 26 February 2025. It was hosted by the Editor-in-Chief (EiC), Dr. Jean-Luc PROBST, and eleven Section Editors-in-Chief (SEiCs) were in attendance. We are extremely grateful for the strong support of our (S)EiCs and for the opportunity to hold a face-to-face online meeting to have in-depth discussions on journal development and strengthen communication and cooperation among the (S)EiCs.

The following topics were discussed during this meeting: Editorial Board structure and operations, and ways to improve Water’s Impact Factor. The (S)EiCs actively engaged in the discussion, providing important feedback and suggestions on the topics.

For the Editorial Board structure and operations, the Section Editors-in-Chief provided valuable suggestions for specific EBM qualification requirements and mentioned that the need to ensure diversity (gender and geographical balance). Most importantly, they mentioned that young scholars have great potential and that journals should vigorously cultivate and develop them to contribute to journal development.

Regarding how to increase the Impact Factor of Water, the Section Editors-in-Chief mentioned that the journal should continue to maintain strict quality control over the submission and editorial process, as well as the standardization of review reports, to publish more high-quality manuscripts, gradually improving the Water’s influence and IF.

The success of this meeting will surely translate into positive changes for Water in 2025. With the support of the (S)EiCs, Water will continue to grow, enhance its academic quality, and make greater contributions to the scientific community.

Attendee list (in no particular order):

• Jean-Luc PROBST (Editor-in-Chief)—Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Toulouse, France;
• Dr. Prof. Dr. Adriano A. Bordalo (Section Editor-in-Chief)—Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal;
• Dr. Andrea G. Capodaglio (Section Editor-in-Chief)—Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Italy;
• Dr. Athanasios Loukas (Section Editor-in-Chief)—Department of Rural and Surveying Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece;
• Dr. Enedir Ghisi (Section Editor-in-Chief)—Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Campus Universitario, Brazil;
• Frédéric Frappart (Section Editor-in-Chief)—INRAE, France;
• Dr. Gordon Huang (Section Editor-in-Chief)—Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Canada;
• Georg Umgiesser (Section Editor-in-Chief)—ISMAR-CNR, ISMAR Istituto di Scienze Marine-Arsenale—Tesa 104, Italy;
• Dr. Steven G. Pueppke (Section Editor-in-Chief)—Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, USA;
• Dr. Vincenzo Romano Spica (Section Editor-in-Chief)—Public Health Unit, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Italy;
• Dr. Yijun Xu (Section Editor-in-Chief)—Coastal Studies Institute, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA;
• Dr. Yaning Chen (Section Editor-in-Chief)—Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Additionally, we are pleased to highlight a number of papers by SEiCs that were published in Water in 2024. These papers cover a variety of areas, including water and One Health, water resources under water scarcity, greywater reuse, groundwater nitrate dynamics, water system connectivity, hydropower operation, oceans, and coastal zones. You are welcome to read them below to gain insights and references to related fields.

“Characterization of Escherichia coli Isolates in Recreational Waters: Implications for Public Health and One Health Approach”
by Lúcia Gomes, Adriano A. Bordalo and Ana Machado
Water 2024, 16(18), 2695; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16182695
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/18/2695

“The Importance of Nonconventional Water Resources under Water Scarcity”
by Andreas N. Angelakis, George Tchobanoglous, Andrea G. Capodaglio and Vasileios A. Tzanakakis
Water 2024, 16(7), 1015; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16071015
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/7/1015

“Economic Feasibility of Rainwater Harvesting and Greywater Reuse in a Multifamily Building”
by Enedir Ghisi and Douglas Ancelmo Freitas
Water 2024, 16(11), 1580; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16111580
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/11/1580

“Climate Change Impacts on Nitrate Leaching and Groundwater Nitrate Dynamics Using a Holistic Approach and Med-CORDEX Climatic Models”
by Aikaterini Lyra, Athanasios Loukas, Pantelis Sidiropoulos and Lampros Vasiliades
Water 2024, 16(3), 465; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16030465
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/3/465

“Evaluation of Water System Connectivity Based on Node Centrality in the Tarim River Basin, Xinjiang, China”
by Junyuan Yu, Yaning Chen, Chenggang Zhu, Yanfeng Di, Zhi Li, Gonghuan Fang, Chuanxiu Liu, Bin Zou and Haodong Lyu
Water 2024, 16(21), 3031; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16213031
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/21/3031

“Consistent Coupled Patterns of Teleconnection Between Rainfall in the Ogooué River Basin and Sea Surface Temperature in Tropical Oceans”
by Sakaros Bogning, Frédéric Frappart, Valentin Brice Ebode, Raphael Onguene, Gil Mahé, Michel Tchilibou, Jacques Étamé and Jean-Jacques Braun
Water 2025, 17(5), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17050753
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/17/5/753

“Recovery of Time Series of Water Volume in Lake Ranco (South Chile) through Satellite Altimetry and Its Relationship with Climatic Phenomena”
by Patricio Fuentes-Aguilera, Lien Rodríguez-López, Luc Bourrel and Frédéric Frappart
Water 2024, 16(14), 1997; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16141997
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/14/1997

“Modelling Impacts of Climate Change and Anthropogenic Activities on Ecosystem State Variables of Water Quality in the Cat Ba–Ha Long Coastal Area (Vietnam)”
by Nguyen Minh Hai, Vu Duy Vinh, Sylvain Ouillon, Tran Dinh Lan and Nguyen Thanh Duong
Water 2025, 17(3), 319; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17030319
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/17/3/319

“Defining and Mitigating Flow Instabilities in Open Channels Subjected to Hydropower Operation: Formulations and Experiments”
by Miguel Tavares, Modesto Pérez-Sánchez, Oscar E. Coronado-Hernández, Alban Kuriqi and Helena M. Ramos
Water 2024, 16(21), 3069; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16213069
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/21/3069

“Legionnaires’ Disease Surveillance and Public Health Policies in Italy: A Mathematical Model for Assessing Prevention Strategies”
by Vincenzo Romano Spica, Paola Borella, Agnese Bruno, Cristian Carboni, Martin Exner, Philippe Hartemann, Gianluca Gianfranceschi, Pasqualina Laganà, Antonella Mansi, Maria Teresa Montagna et al.
Water 2024, 16(15), 2167; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16152167
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/15/2167

Glaciers are among the most important components of the Earth’s cryosphere, serving as natural reservoirs of freshwater, regulators of sea levels, and indicators of climate variability. Their role in sustaining ecosystems and human societies is unparalleled, yet they are increasingly threatened by rising global temperatures.

The scientific evidence underscores the alarming rate of glacier retreat, with profound implications for water security, sea-level rise, and the frequency of climate-related hazards such as floods and landslides. The loss of these ice masses not only disrupts hydrological cycles but also poses significant challenges to communities and economies worldwide.

Date: 19 March 2025 at 9 a.m. CET | 3 a.m. EDT | 4 p.m. CST
Webinar ID: 851 1794 7801
Website: https://sciforum.net/event/WDFG2025

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations made with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable attend? Register anyway and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch online.

Register now for free!

Program:

Webinar Speakers:

• Dr. Abror Gafurov, GFZ German Research Centre for Geoscience, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany;
• Dr. Danilo Godone, Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, Torino, Italy.

Conference: The 18th National Conference and Symposium on Hydrochemistry
Date: 28–30 March 2025
Location: Tianjin, China

MDPI will be attending the 18th National Conference and Symposium on Hydrochemistry as an exhibitor. We welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

The 18th National Conference and Symposium on Hydrochemistry is organized by Tianjin University and the Applied Chemistry Committee of the Chinese Chemical Society, which will be held from 28 to 30 March 2025. The theme of this year’s conference is “Pollution reduction, carbon reduction, and green expansion—Goals, vision, and innovative in the development of wastewater treatment chemistry”.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Water;
• Limnological Review;
• Environments;
• Resources;
• Recycling;
• Clean Technol.;
• Separations;
• Hydrology;
• Land.

If you are planning to attend the above conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://waterchem2025.scimeeting.cn/.

MDPI is pleased to announce our participation in the 2025 AAG Annual Meeting (AAG 2025), held from 24 to 28 March 2025 in Detroit, MI, USA.

AAG 2025 will revolve around the theme of “Making Spaces of Possibility”. It will bring together geographers of many perspectives and specialties to learn from Detroit, envisioning solutions for the region it is part of and for places around the world.

To make spaces of possibility is to leverage geographic insight, knowledge, and tools to counter the historical legacies of racial exclusion and (settler) colonialism; to address current threats to democracy and the environment; and to work toward climate justice.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the event:

• Remote Sensing;
• Sustainability;
• Earth;
• Geographies;
• Climate;
• Hydrology;
• Land;
• Water;
• Fire;
• Atmosphere;
• World;
• Drones;
• Geomatics;
• Quaternary.

If you are attending AAG 2025, we invite you to visit us at booth #111. Our representatives, Mr. Elvis Wang and Ms. Sofia Zelko, will be available to discuss publishing opportunities, the benefits of open access, and our commitment to advancing geosciences research.

For more information about the conference, please visit its official website: https://www.aag.org/events/aag2025/.

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Water 2024 Outstanding Reviewer Award. The Water (ISSN: 2073-4441) Editorial Board and Editorial Team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy dedicated by reviewers in checking the manuscripts submitted to this journal. It is due to their efforts that the high quality of Water and quick turnaround are maintained.

Outstanding Awards for Excellence in Manuscript Reviews
Prize: CHF 500, an electronic certificate, and a chance to publish a paper with a 50% discount in Water in 2025
Winners:
Prof. Dr. Mariusz Ptak, Department of Hydrology and Water Management, Adam Mickiewicz University;
Dr. Hebat-Allah S. Tohamy, Cellulose & Paper Department, National Research Centre;
Dr. Cristian Anghel, Faculty of Hydrotechnics, Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest;
Prof. Dr. Idil Arslan-Alaton, Environmental Engineering Department, Civil Engineering Faculty, Istanbul Technical University;
Dr. Mohammed N. Assaf, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DICAr), University of Pavia.

Recognition Awards for Manuscript Reviews
Prize: An electronic certificate and a chance to publish a paper with a 50% discount in Water in 2025
Winners:
Dr. Hainan Wu, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University;
Dr. Shyue-Cherng Liaw, Department of Geography, National Taiwan Normal University;
Dr. Vahdettin Demir, Department of Civil Engineering, KTO Karatay University;
Prof. Dr. Zakaria Al-Qodah, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Al-Balqa Applied University
Dr. Diego Avesani, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento.

Water Editorial Office

MDPI is pleased to share a significant milestone in its mission to advance scholarly research and promote the dissemination of knowledge—300+ MDPI journals are now indexed in Web of Science (WoS). This milestone highlights the global recognition, interdisciplinary impact and enhanced visibility of our journals. It also reflects our adherence to rigorous editorial standards, scientific integrity, and our mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines. 

To explore the full list of our journals indexed in WoS, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals/wos. Beyond expanding the coverage of our publications in the leading academic databases, we are dedicated to ensuring that our journals are included in as many scope-specific databases as possible. This increases the visibility of our authors’ work and extends the reach of their significant data. 

This milestone would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of our academic editors, reviewers and authors. Their commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in creating an inclusive, accessible, and impactful publishing platform. We also extend our gratitude to the global research community for their trust as we continue to break new ground in academic publishing. This milestone is not just a celebration of MDPI’s progress but also recognition of the collective strides made by researchers worldwide. 

As we celebrate this remarkable accomplishment, MDPI remains steadfast in its commitment to open access publishing and ensuring that high-quality research reaches and inspires a global audience.

1. “The Impacts of Climate Change on the Hydrological Process and Water Quality in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China”
by Yidian Sun, Wanshun Zhang, Hong Peng, Feng Zhou, Anna Jiang, Xiaomin Chen and Hao Wang
Water 2023, 15(8), 1542; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15081542
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/8/1542

2. “Adsorption Performance of Different Wetland Substrates for Ammonia Nitrogen: An Experimental Study”
by Peng Li, Minghui Liu, Jiaxing Zhou, Li Chen and Meifeng Cai
Water 2024, 16(1), 174; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16010174
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/1/174

3. “Novel Fenton-like Catalyst HKUST-1(Cu)/MoS₂-3-C with Non-Equilibrium-State Surface for Selective Degradation of Phenolic Contaminants: Synergistic Effects of σ-Cu-Ligand and ≡Mo–OOSO₃⁻ Complex”
by Xiaoze Yin, Huaqin Yin, Renjie Wang, Jinnan Wang and Aimin Li
Water 2024, 16(1), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16010121
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/1/121

4. “Research on the Influence Radius on the Surrounding Groundwater Level in the Beidianshengli Open-Pit Coal Mine of China”
by Yunlan He, Lulu Fang, Suping Peng, Xikai Wang, Kexin Li, Changhao Cui, Zhuoming Liu and Yile Yang
Water 2024, 16(14), 1938; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16141938
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/14/1938

5. “A Ground-Penetrating Radar-Based Study of the Structure and Moisture Content of Complex Reconfigured Soils”
by Yunlan He, Lulu Fang, Suping Peng, Wen Liu and Changhao Cui
Water 2024, 16(16), 2332; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16162332
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/16/2332

6. “Effects of Underwater Lighting Time on the Growth of Vallisneria spinulosa Yan and Its Water Restoration Process”
by Mengyi Wei, Jinshan Zhao, Xiaolin Zhou, Fengdan Li, Min Zhao, Xiangyong Zheng, Ye Tang Chang Yang, Zhenmin Jin and Suqing Wu
Water 2024, 16(24), 3697; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16243697
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/24/3697

7. “Economic Operation of Variable Speed and Blade Angle-Adjustable Pumping Stations of an Open-Channel Water Transfer Project”
by Mengying Du, Zhao Zhang, Yichao Chen, Xieyu Qu, Peiru Yan and Hao Wang
Water 2023, 15(20), 3571; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15203571
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/20/3571

8. “Roughness Inversion of Water Transfer Channels from a Data-Driven Perspective”
by Luyan Zhou, Peiru Yan, Zhongkai Han, Zhao Zhang, Xiaohui Lei and Hao Wang
Water 2023, 15(15), 2822; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15152822
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/15/2822

9. “Spatial and Temporal Variations in Soil Moisture for a Tamarisk Stand under Groundwater Control in a Hyper-Arid Region”
by Xiaobo Yi, Ji Luo, Pengyan Wang, Xiao Guo, Yuanjie Deng, Tao Du, Haijun Wang, Cuicui Jiao, Guofu Yuan and Mingan Shao
Water 2023, 15(19), 3403; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15193403
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/19/3403

10. “Impacts of Different Gully Consolidation and Highland Protection Models on the Runoff and Sediment Yield in Small Watershed of the Chinese Loess Plateau—A Case Study of Fengbugou in Qingyang City of Gansu”
by Zhixin Zhao, Aidi Huo, Yuxiang Cheng, Pingping Luo, Jianbing Peng, Ahmed Elbeltagi, Mohamed EL-Sayed Abuarab, Ali Mokhtar and Adnan Ahmed
Water 2023, 15(15), 2764; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15152764
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/15/2764

This year, MDPI celebrates Environmental and Earth Sciences Week under the theme “Science for a Thriving Planet!”. As we honor this week, we also align with the United Nations’ call to action by recognizing key global observances: 21 March as the International Day of Forests and World Day for Glaciers, 22 March as World Water Day, and 23 March as World Meteorological Day. These observances highlight the interconnectedness of forests, water, weather, and climate in shaping a sustainable future.

Hereby, we are pleased to officially launch the campaign “MDPI 2024 Most Popular Cover in Environmental and Earth Sciences”, which aims to reinforce the critical role science plays in understanding, protecting, and sustaining our world.

What’s the cover?
For this campaign, MDPI highlights a paper in the form of an issue cover for each issue. We selected 15 covers in 2024 in the field of forests, water and meteorology. Many cover stories report important research results or innovative methods with impressive images.

What’s standard when selecting the popular cover?
The criteria that will be considered for selection are as follows:

• The importance or innovation of research in the fields of forests, water, glaciers, or meteorology;
• Quality of the cover image.

How many winners will there be?

• There will be three covers granted the “MDPI 2024 Most Popular Cover”.

What’s the prize for each winner?

• A CHF 300 Article-Processing Charge (APC) voucher (corresponding author);
• An electronic certificate.

How to pick your favorite cover?
To cast your vote, please visit the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Z8B3BDQ.

The voting will be open from 19 February to 12 March 2025. The winners will be announced on the MDPI website by 21 March.

MDPI, a pioneer in scholarly open access publishing, and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Singapore, proudly announce the successful conclusion of the first edition the MDPI Early Career Researcher Awards. The awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to medical and biomedical research, were presented to six exceptional researchers during an awards ceremony held at LKCMedicine HQ Building on 28 November 2024.

Honoring Excellence in Research

The awards recognize exceptional postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students who have demonstrated outstanding originality, innovation, and impact in their respective fields. We are honored to announce the winners of the 2024 edition:

Early Career Researcher (Postdoc) Award:

• Dr. Theresia Handayani Mina, “Adiposity and Metabolic Health in Asian Populations: An Epidemiological Study Using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Singapore”;
• Dr. Erfan Rezvani Ghomi, “Wound Healing Improvement by Novel Aligned Antimicrobial Nanofibrous 3D Scaffolds”;
• Dr. Yadollah Ranjbar Slamloo, “Functional Alterations of The Prefrontal Circuit Underlying Cognitive Aging in Mice”.

Early Career Researcher (Ph.D.) Award:

• Pritisha Rozario, “Mechanistic Basis for Potassium Efflux-Driven Activation of the Human NLRP1 Inflammasome”;

• Michelle Law Cheok Yien, “Chikungunya Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 is a Versatile RNA Capping and Decapping Enzyme”;
• Yin Ruoyu, “The Use of Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Tools in Older Adults: A Mixed Method Study”.

Our collaboration highlights a shared commitment to recognizing exceptional talent and research within the academic community, addressing today’s healthcare challenges, and inspiring continued innovation.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Building on the success of the first edition, MDPI and LKCMedicine are excited to announce that the 2025 MDPI Early Researcher Awards will continue to celebrate excellence and innovation in medical research. The next edition promises to expand its scope, introducing new categories and providing even greater recognition for impactful research.

Further details on the 2025 awards, including nomination criteria and timelines, will be shared in the coming months. We remain committed to fostering a culture of research excellence and collaboration within the global scientific community.