For Sustainable Development: The Differences in Water and Energy Consumptions in Urban and Rural Environments
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 3482
Special Issue Editor
Interests: building energy efficiency; thermal comfort; thermal performance analysis; nearly zero energy buildings; water–energy nexus; passive solar design; sustainable construction; waste valorization for building materials; building materials characterization; sustainable materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Water and energy are two essential resources recognized as indispensable inputs to modern society’s economic and social development, whose consumptions are intensifying worldwide. The increasing demands represent an adverse impact on the environment in terms of resource scarcity and climate change, compromising the sustainable development of modern societies, which will not be supportable in the long run, making it urgent to manage these resources in a more sustainable way.
Water and energy are inextricably linked resources that have been largely treated individually. Understanding the energy–water nexus can be an important contribution to minimize energy and water consumptions and mitigate environmental impacts. Water is required in several processes of energy production, such as raw materials extraction and processing, electricity generation and consumption, thermal plant cooling, and waste products treatments. Energy is required at various water-related processes of the water cycle, namely water production, including desalination, groundwater pumping, water purification, end use, and wastewater treatment. Given this close interrelation, an integrated approach will be crucial to obtain more efficient water and energy systems.
The consumption of these resources is affected by several factors, such as demographic, economic, social, cultural, and technological, leading to different behavioral patterns. It is known that there are differences between water and energy consumption patterns in rural and urban environments. The identification of the factors influencing those consumptions plays an important role in future planning and strategic policy considerations.
The Guest Editors of Sustainability invite papers dealing with sustainability issues in water and energy consumptions in urban and rural environments. We invite submissions of high quality, empirical and theoretical, papers related to the following topics and keywords:
- Water and energy consumptions at agricultural, industrial, and residential sectors;
- Energy–water nexus;
- Water cycle;
- Energy systems;
- Efficient use of water and energy;
- Urban and rural consumption patterns;
- Influencing factors;
- Environmental impacts;
- Costs analysis;
- Public policies and strategies;
- Sustainable systems;
- Sustainability analysis.
Dr. Ana Briga-Sá
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- water and energy consumptions
- urban and rural environments
- consumption patterns
- water and energy efficiency
- sustainability
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
