Special Issue “Groundwater in the cities of Europe”

29-08-2023

Euro Geo Surveys (EGS) Urban Geology Expert Group (UGEG) and Water Resources Expert Group (WREG), are pleased to announce the call for papers for the incoming Special Issue Groundwater in the Cities of Europe, hosted by Acque Sotterranee – Italian Journal of Groundwater.

Groundwater in cities is a problem in considerable measure because it is "out of sight and out of mind." The public and even decision-makers know little about the state of the groundwater resource.” As a result, poor groundwater quality or level changes might persist for years or decades without being addressed or even discovered. The urban water cycle is a crucial issue for ensuring the supply of safe (good quality) water, sanitation and correct drainage systems for so many citizens. Furthermore, human activities such as land-use change, substantial withdrawals, and wastewater discharge can have a greater impact on groundwater systems and hydrogeology than climate change, causing changes in the qualitative and quantitative state of both surface water and groundwater. Consequently, urban water and groundwater management poses not only scientific but also technical, socio-economic, cultural, and ethical challenges.

The aim of this special issue is to present a sample of the groundwater knoledge about the urbanised sectors accross the european continent fostering collaboration between UGEG and WREG. Contributions from all EGS expert groups and from authors out of the EGS are also welcome.

For the SI will be accepted manuscripts treating the following topics or a combination of those:

  • General hydrogeological setting description of cities in form of reviews, both for one specific city, and for a series of cities from the same country
  • Urban groundwater-related projects regarding monitoring, knowledge, awareness increase of citizens
  • Urban groundwater-related issues as groundwater flooding, groundwater pollution, groundwater remediation, groundwater-withdrawal-related subsidence
  • Urban groundwater supply
  • Urban groundwater modeling
  • Urban groundwater sustainable uses, as SuDS/MAR projects, shallow geothermal uses
  • Urban groundwater dependent ecosystems
  • Urban groundwater and city resilience
  • Disaster risk reduction and nature-based solutions related to urban groundwater issues

 

Editor-in-Chief responsible for the SI: Francesco La Vigna (ISPRA - UGEG chair)
Guest Editors: Klaus Hinsby (GEUS), Ozren Larva (HGI-CGS), Sophie O'Connor (GSI), Peter van der Keur (GEUS)
Communication of submission intention, provisional title, possible authors: using this Google form https://forms.gle/vqVPHAyLcBoc7RdH7
Deadline for first submission: end of April 2024
Publication of the SI: end of September 2024