CALL FOR PAPERS

Digital Water

Blue-Green Systems, Water Science & Technology, Journal of Hydroinformatics and Water Practice & Technology, are pleased to invite submissions for peer review and possible publication in the ‘Digital Water’ Special Issue.

The water sector is rapidly adopting digital technologies to enhance water system performance, meet customer needs, and ensure reliable services. These innovations are essential for managing challenges intensified by climate change and urbanization, which disrupt hydrological cycles and demand patterns.

In response, the International Water Association (IWA) has recently launched the Digital Water Programme. This initiative aims to advance the digital transformation of the water sector by integrating sensors connected via the Internet of Things (IoT), and employing tools for data analytics, real-time monitoring and control, and decision-support systems to facilitate the transition.

This Special Issue explores cutting-edge research in Digital Water, emphasizing machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) in modelling complex water systems. We strongly advocate for interdisciplinary contributions, from both rural and urban settings, on topics such as flood prediction, urban drainage, wastewater management, environmental assessment, reservoir management, the urban water cycle and water resource planning under climate change. Research on nature-based solutions for flood mitigation and ecological & human well-being is also encouraged.

We welcome contributions from engineers from diverse scientific disciplines, urban water planners, ecologists, architects, landscape designers, policymakers, and stakeholders engaged in shifting water-related challenges into the domain of digital water solutions.

Relevant topics include (but not limited to):

• IoT, AI and ML Technologies for Water System Monitoring and Prediction of River & Lake Water Quality
• ML Models for Systems Analysis, Urban Water Cycle, Waste Water Systems, Urban Drainage and Flood Prediction in Urban & Rural Areas
• ML Models for Real Time Control and Smart Operation of Urban Water Systems
• ML Models for Asset Management
• Hybrid Methods for Hydrological Simulations Combining Physical & ML-Based Models
• Reservoir Operation Optimization Using Advanced ML Methods
• Integrative Data Analytics for Sustainable Waste Water and Water Resource Management
• Innovative Digital & Nature-Based Solutions for Water Systems and Flood Risk Reduction
• Exploratory modelling of NBSs across different spatial scales
• Decision-Support Systems for Water Planning, Policy and Governance in Digital Water Management
• Digital tools for improving ecological & human well-being in aquatic environments
• Case Studies on Successful Digital Transformations in the Water Sector
• Cybersecurity, Digital Twins and Virtual & Augmented Reality in Water Management and Education

Key dates:

Deadline for manuscript submission: 01 June 2025

Articles will be published online as soon as possible after acceptance.

Managing Editor:

Veljko Prodanovic, University of Belgrade, Serbia

Guest Editors:

Milan Stojković, The Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research and Development of Serbia, Serbia

Guang Yang, Hohai University, China

Donghoon Lee, University of Manitoba, Canada

João P. Leitão, Swiss Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Switzerland

Tiantian Yang, School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, University of Oklahoma, USA

Robert Sitzenfrei, Unit of Environmental Engineering, University of Innsbruck, Austria

How to submit:

Please make sure that your paper follows the Instructions to Authors of the journal, before submitting your paper directly to Blue-Green Systems, Water Science & Technology, Journal of Hydroinformatics or Water Practice & Technology’s peer review system. Then choose the most appropriate article type and the submission category – Special Issue: Digital Water. This will send your paper to one of the Guest Editors.

Information about Publication Fees, discounts and waivers can be found here: https://iwaponline.com/open_access/pages/publication_fees.