assess future water quantity under uncertainty, as well as with water quality projections posing a global challenge.This Research Topic brings together contributions advancing knowledge on Climate and Global Change impacts on surface and groundwater systems including responses in quantity and quality, and reviews of challenges and management strategies in vulnerable regions. Emphasis is placed on socio-economic ramifications of Climate and Global Change in threatened socio-ecological systems in coastal zones (Baena-Ruiz et al., 2020), dryland regions (Alcalá et al., 2018), alpine environments (Jimeno-Sáez et al., 2020), andwetlands (Collados-Lara et al., 2021). It also addresses hydrological extremes such as floods and droughts, supporting robust decision-making frameworks for adaptation under increasing scarcity and risks. These dynamics affect social conflicts, climate migration (driven by climate-related pressures-such as extreme weather or gradual environmental degradation; Yang et al., 2025), and the water-energy-food nexus.The collection includes studies examining climatic drivers and adaptive measures. Yin et al. compared five methods for estimating potential evapotranspiration in Nanjing, China, from 1961 to 2021, using the Penman model as reference. Differences among models showed no single approach is universally applicable, though trends were similar. Their refinement improves greenhouse water demand prediction.Tezcan and Garcia developed a hidden Markov model using drought indices and temperature to generate climate-informed scenarios for the Colorado River basin. This support understanding hydroclimatic patterns and adaptation in interconnected watersheds, enabling streamflow projections for impact analysis. The purpose was understanding the nature of Climate Change impact on spatiotemporal hydroclimatic patterns to develop adaptation options in large watersheds where interbasin transfers and shared demand nodes link different watersheds. These ensembles can be used to generate streamflow ensembles, which, in turn, will be input to study the impact of Climate Change on regional Hydrology.Odunola et al. assessed willingness-to-pay for adaptation in water projects, using Lesotho irrigation as a case. By extending cost-benefit analysis with a Climate-informed Robustness Index, they identified vulnerable conditions and supported measures like integrated catchment management to improve resilience.Prasad et al. explored irrigation development under uncertainty in Kenya and Zimbabwe. They argued large infrastructure lacks flexibility, whereas small-scale farm investments enhance adaptability and reduce lock-in risks, reflecting farmer responses to opportunities and threats.In conclusion, exploring adaptive water management strategies to Climate and Global Change and the challenges faced by regions vulnerable to extreme climate events, provides a crucial dimension to understanding the environmental and socioeconomic consequences with adaptive responses. The authors contributing to this Research Topic employed cutting-edge methodologies gaining a unique perspective on how Climate and Global Change will affect. This in-depth exploration not only enhances our ability to identify the human, environmental and climatic interactions that underlie the dynamics of water systems to design mitigation and adaptation strategies to Climate and Global Change but also lays the groundwork for more effective interventions in the realm of socio-economics adaptation and environmental protection actions.
Pulido-Velázquez et al. (Tue,) studied this question.