Call for papers

Water is the lifeblood of our planet, yet it faces unprecedented challenges in the 21st century. Climate change, population growth and industrial expansion have created a complex web of issues that threaten water security worldwide. From deteriorating water quality in rivers and lakes to the over-extraction of groundwater and the pollution of coastal waters, the need for innovative solutions has never been more urgent.

This Themed Collection unites rigorous, full-scale demonstrations of AI-enabled predictive maintenance, digital twins, advanced treatment technologies, nature-based solutions and the policy or financing mechanisms that enable them, all supported by ≥ 12-month field data that quantify carbon, energy and cost savings, thereby closing the loop between research and measurable, real-world sustainability outcomes.

The primary goal of this Themed Collection is to serve as a global platform for researchers, engineers, and policymakers to share high-quality, open-access research that advances the field of water resource management and the protection of aquatic ecosystems through demonstrated technological deployments and supporting governance or economic frameworks. We aim to foster collaboration between academic institutions and industry sectors, particularly in the development and deployment of advanced technologies such as sensors, AI models, digital twins, soft sensors, image recognition, and super-resolution imaging. By highlighting both fundamental research and applied solutions, this collection will contribute to the sustainable management of water resources and the protection of aquatic ecosystems.

We invite research articles, reviews, perspectives, rapid communications and case studies addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• AI-Enabled Predictive Maintenance at Utility Scale: Deployment and 12-month (or longer) field validation of artificial-intelligence models for predictive maintenance in water and wastewater utilities, quantifying energy savings, carbon-reduction gains and operational resilience. 
• Digital Twins for Urban Drainage & Catchments: Creation and ≥ 12-month continuous field operation of digital-twin platforms for urban drainage networks or river catchments, demonstrating measurable improvements in flood mitigation, water-quality control or carbon footprint.
• Energy-Neutral/Net-Positive Treatment Systems: Full-scale implementation of advanced oxidation, membrane bioreactors or hybrid treatment trains achieving energy neutrality or net-positive carbon performance, supported by life-cycle carbon and cost assessments. 
• Nature-Based Treatment Trains with Green-Infrastructure Retrofits: Integration of engineered nature-based solutions and green-infrastructure retrofits for water or wastewater treatment, documented with multi-year performance data on water quality, biodiversity and socio-economic co-benefits. 
• Policy Instruments Translated into Techno-Economic Case Studies: Real-world application and quantitative evaluation of policy tools—water pricing, tradable permits, green bonds or regulatory incentives—demonstrating their impact on technology adoption rates, cost-effectiveness and sustainability metrics. 
• Financing Models & Governance for Resilient Low-Carbon Water Services: Implementation and assessment of financing mechanisms (PPP, green finance, performance-based contracts) and governance structures that enable resilient, low-carbon water services, including risk-sharing arrangements and long-term sustainability indicators.

Submission deadline: 31 August 2026

Lead Editor

Min Yang, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, China

(Editorial Board Member of Cambridge Prisms: Water)

Guest Editors

Meng Sun, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Science (RCEES), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China

Sina Borzooei, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Sweden