Transformational Strategies for Equitable Water Distribution in a Changing Climate

Achieving a secure and equitable water future is a challenge worldwide due to increasing municipal and agricultural water demands, inequities associated with existing water distribution systems, and the changing climate. Increasing variability in precipitation patterns is evidenced by unprecedented droughts and floods in many regions. These recent climatic disasters highlight obsolete and failing water infrastructure in well-developed nations, while spotlighting the extreme vulnerability of communities in less well-developed regions. Efforts aimed at increasing resilience to these disasters must be undertaken more holistically than in the past if they are to achieve the multiple benefits needed to achieve water security. For example, traditional flood control measures can inhibit our ability to capture flood waters for aquifer recharge, missing an opportunity to increase water supply reliability. Similarly, managed aquifer recharge may inadvertently cause pollution of domestic water supply wells, thereby increasing reliability at the expense of disadvantaged rural community well users.

This research topic aims to provide a venue for current research approaches, outcomes, and perspectives relevant to the theme of achieving a secure, sustainable, and equitable water future. Research articles and approaches spanning the natural sciences, social sciences, and engineering are welcome. Specific questions to be addressed include how to reconcile increasingly variable water supplies with existing inequities, what transformational approaches are needed to address interconnected security risks, and how to engage communities in planning and implementation. Hypotheses to be tested may involve the effectiveness of new land management schemes, the impact of climate actions on water security, and the role of transdisciplinary approaches in improving water governance and policy.

To gather further insights into the complex interplay between water security and socio-economic factors, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Water security issues in the context of climate change
- Water resources modeling and management
- Managed aquifer recharge
- Assessing water stores and fluxes
- Hydro- and agro-economics
- Water trading
- Smart irrigation
- Environmental justice
- Ecosystem conservation and restoration
- Climate action workforce implications