Aims and Scope
Freshwater Policy and Practice is a transdisciplinary journal dedicated to advancing evidence-based solutions that sustain, restore, steward and govern freshwater ecosystems in a rapidly changing world. From headwaters to estuaries, and across wetlands, rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, and groundwater systems, the journal addresses the complex ecological, socioeconomic, cultural and policy or practice dimensions of freshwater systems.
The journal is explicitly solutions oriented and is intended to connect science to decision-making and action. It seeks to support evidence-informed decision-making and real-world implementation by providing a platform for research, policy analysis, and practice-based insight. It bridges disciplines and sectors, linking ecology, hydrology, biogeochemistry, biodiversity conservation, multiple knowledge systems, stewardship, policy, integrated water resource management, and governance.
We welcome contributions that do one or more of the following:
- Address pressing challenges facing freshwater ecosystems around the word
- Examine cross-scale interactions from local watersheds to national or global freshwater policy
- Propose, test, or evaluate policy tools, management strategies, or protection, conservation and restoration approaches
- Highlight practical innovations, interventions, and solutions co-developed with communities and other partners
Submissions may include (but are not limited to) applied papers with the following themes:
- From microbes to multicellular organisms, from individuals to communities
- Ecosystem processes and state of freshwater environments
- Biodiversity conservation including species, habitats, and ecological interactions
- Climate adaptation and resilience in freshwater environments
- Urban, agricultural, and other land use interfaces with freshwater systems
- The water, energy, food, ecosystems nexus
- Community-based and Indigenous-led freshwater initiatives
- Monitoring, indicators, and data innovations for freshwater decision-making
- Socioeconomic, health and wellbeing dimensions
- Ecosystem services and benefits
- Governance, policy, and regulatory frameworks, and stewardship from global to local
- Restoration, rehabilitation, stewardship and guardianship efforts
