Virtual special issue "Changes in hydrological processes and water resources in the context of climate change and carbon neutrality"

Climate change is exacerbating the water cycle, causing more extreme events of intense rainfall, flooding, and severe droughts. Further global warming will aggravate permafrost melt, as well as the loss of seasonal snow and glaciers, which will in turn change water resources (Arias et al., 2021). Recent advances in climate sciences hold promise for a better understanding of future extremes and climate information. For example, the convection-permitting (CP) climate simulation provides a step-change in our understanding of future changes at local scales and for extreme weather events (Kendon, et al., 2021). Nevertheless, mitigating climate-induced risks and adapting to climate change impacts still require substantial advances in scientific understanding and policy-driven actions. Many countries have proposed timelines for carbon neutrality and actively implemented various climate policies and measures primarily focusing on energy and land use (Williams, et al., 2021). However, the current focus leaves behind a third sibling critical to addressing local and global climate goals: water (Robertson, et al., 2022).