Introduction to the Featured Collection: Water Security — New Technologies, Strategies, Policies, and Institutions

Water security is arguably one of the top global water issues. A definition that it sustainable availability adequate quantity and quality for a particular use, whether humans or environment. It becoming increasingly important food security, conflict mitigation, environmental conservation, economic development. According to Grey Sadoff (2007), issue has been object increased academic policy interest over past decade, although international community used term “water security” much earlier. In 2000 concept was introduced in two prominent declarations, namely (1) “A Secure World — Vision Water, Life, Environment” by Council (WWC 2000) (2) “Towards Security: Framework Action” published Global Partnership (GWP 2000). 2009, Economic Forum (WEF) prioritized as concern, stating gossamer links together web food, energy, climate, growth, human challenges world economy faces next decades” (WEF 2011). 2013, UN-Water Task Force on Security proposed working aiming capture dynamic constantly evolving dimensions related issues, offering holistic outlook addressing through umbrella serving starting point dialogue UN system (UNU 2013). 2015 WEF further reported “Global crises from drought world’s most productive farmlands hundreds millions people without access safe drinking are biggest threats facing planet decade. Other risks inextricably tied management, inadequate heterogeneous access, extreme weather events, failure national governance, state collapse crisis; rapid massive epidemics; adapt climate change.” Regardless adopted, involves development use resources, protection systems, against water-related hazards (floods droughts), safeguarding functions services precondition any effective poverty reduction strategy, sanitation, wastewater flood control (Laušević et al. 2016). This featured collection includes invited papers International Specialty Conference New Technologies, Strategies, Policies, Institutions convened American Resources Association Center Research, Chinese Academy Sciences (CWRR-CAS) held September 16–18, 2019 Beijing, China. The conference attended 180 people, which approximately three-quarters were China rest 15 other countries (Ethiopia, Germany, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Mongolia, Pakistan, Singapore, Tajikistan, UK, USA, Uzbekistan). Participants represented 57 research institutes organizations. at Institute Geographic Natural Science, Based recommendations session moderators, we authors selected presentations submit their full paper same topic consideration publication Journal series. guest associate editors (see list below) recruited three expert peer reviewers evaluate each submission all evaluated following standards journal. We debt honest thorough assessment submitted manuscripts timely manner despite interruptions created due COVID-19 pandemic. Special thanks go Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Venki Uddameri, Managing Editors, Ms. Corrie Williams Kylie Bade. Shaofeng Jia (CAS), Jinjun Kan (University Delaware), Yanqing Lian Yi Liu (Morgan State University), Di Long (Tsinghua Aifeng Lv John Sabo (Arizona Chad Staddon West England), Qiuhong Tang Gregory Torell (New Mexico Tracy (Texas A&M AgriLife Research), Jun Xia (Wuhan University CAS), Yonghui Yang Xiang Zhang Wenbin Zhu (CAS).