IOP Publishing (IOPP) has announced it is launching Environmental Research: Water a new open access (OA) journal which offers an interdisciplinary forum for researchers working to achieve water sustainability globally. IOPP says Environmental Research: Water is the ninth journal in its expanding Environmental Research series, which is built on its journal Environmental Research Letters.
The publisher says the journal covers all aspects of the hydrosphere, exploring the connection between physical, chemical, biological, and ecological processes that govern water sustainability, as well as the evolving relationship between humanity and water. The journal launch is timely, with water research more than doubling in the past decade amid growing water scarcity. Unicef predicts over 700 million people could be displaced by 2030 due to the crisis.
IOP Publishing says it has appointed two world-leading scientists to lead the journal as co-editors-in-chief. Michelle van Vliet, Professor of Water Quality and Sustainable Water Systems at Utrecht University, and Martina Flörke, Professor of Engineering Hydrology and Water Management at Ruhr-University Bochum, will combine their expertise and deep knowledge of the field. They will work closely with an in-house editorial team to ensure editorial excellence and that the journal meets IOPP’s rigorous peer review standards.
Professor Flörke said: “Freshwater is a vital resource, playing a pivotal role in human well-being and biodiversity. However, the quantity and quality of our freshwater resources have undergone significant modifications because of human activity and climate change. This has resulted in water scarcity and deterioration in water quality, which ultimately poses risks to human and ecosystem health.”
Professor van Vliet added: “In the face of climate change, population growth and anticipated food and water insecurity, innovative transdisciplinary solutions are needed to adapt to and prevent the occurrence of catastrophic events. Environmental Research: Water serves as an outlet for the dissemination of scientific findings and the promotion of novel and impactful developments within the water sector, society, and policy circles.”
Dr Tim Smith, head of portfolio development at IOP Publishing, said: “Water management is crucial to addressing global societal challenges and Environmental Research: Water will serve as a much-needed resource to unite academia, industry, and policymakers to drive sustainable solutions. We’re excited to have two such prominent scientists to lead the journal in representing this important field, building further on the high standards and international reputation of IOPP's evolving Environmental Research Series of OA journals.”
IOPP says authors publishing in Environmental Research: Water will benefit from free OA publishing throughout 2025, with all article publication charges covered by IOPP.
Authors publishing in Environmental Research: Water are not only supporting the advancement of physics in the broadest sense but also invest in the community they are a part of. All funds generated by IOP Publishing go directly to the Institute of Physics to make physics accessible to people from all backgrounds, added the publisher.
IOPP says it has joined forces with the American Physical Society and AIP Publishing to create Purpose-Led Publishing (PLP), a new coalition with a promise to always put purpose above profit. For more information, please click here.
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