Editorial: Pushing the boundaries of hydro-engineering research

Welcome to the final instalment of Water Management in 2025. This has been a whirlwind year for me after joining the journal’s editorial team as Editor-in-Chief in May. I have thoroughly enjoyed these first months in the role and am grateful for the support offered by the editorial panel and Emerald’s publishing team. One highlight of the year was being interviewed for the Emerald Podcast series: Sustainable structures and infrastructures. In the episode I attempt to answer the question ‘Can we build a future we can’t predict?’ and explore new approaches that prepare us for a range of possible futures, even those we can’t foresee. The podcast will be available soon Link to the cited article. Another highlight was interviewing our award-winning authors, Deng et al. (2024), about their machine learning-based prediction of scour depth around different-shaped bridge abutments. The interview is now published Link to the cited article.As the year concludes, we are already setting a high bar for 2026. I am thrilled to launch our inaugural Early Career Reviewer Board, an initiative designed to empower early career researchers by giving them direct means to participate within the journal publishing environment and actively contribute to the journal’s development for the wider community. Complementing this, we also plan to publish two special issues that tackle pressing issues of twenty-first century water management: the first issue will focus on scientific advances in understanding and planning for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) management in the water sector, and the second will explore resilient infrastructure planning under deep uncertainty. In addition to this, we have a new call for papers on the topics of urban flood risk, nature-based solutions, machine learning and artificial intelligence applications for water management, as well as catchment and resource management. Finally, to expand our expertise, we are seeking to appoint two Editorial Advisory Board members specialising in wastewater treatment and hydrological modelling. I encourage you to check the Water Management website to stay up to date with next year’s activities or contact the journal office for further information.Addressing the most critical challenges facing contemporary water engineering, this issue presents four state-of-the-art studies that target water infrastructure resilience. From scour mitigation to the complex dualities of groundwater management, this issue pushes the boundaries of hydro-engineering research.The first two studies advances our understanding of scour processes, infrastructure design and management. First, Patel and Kumar (2025) address a critical factor often overlooked in scour prediction, investigating the effectiveness of permeable spur dykes in mitigating localised scour. Their study uses a laboratory flume experiment to compare a fully impermeable set-up against two partially permeable configurations, successfully demonstrating that integrating permeability in dyke design has the potential to significantly reduce maximum scour depth. Their findings reveal that downward seepage generally intensifies scour and bed distortion, particularly with impermeable dykes, which accelerate particle detachment and enhance negative reverse flow near the structure base. Permeable configurations not only reduce scour depth but also enhance flow velocity magnitude and modify sediment deposition patterns, suggesting their dual benefit for both bank stability and channel morphology.Building on the theme of localised flow dynamics, Chu et al. (2025) explore the behaviour of scour around complex bridge piers in dynamic flow environments. Using a wave-current flume and terrain scanner to measure bed elevations, the authors provide essential insights into how bidirectional flow around piers creates symmetrical scour holes with shallow maximum depths. The study offers new insight into scour patterns; something the authors encourage is considered in scour prediction models to ensure safer and more robust structural design in dynamic tidal environments.Our next two studies focus on matters below the surface: a critical, yet often invisible, component of sustainable water resource management and engineering geohazards. First, Hassanpur et al. (2025) address the challenges inherent to artificial recharge (AR) schemes in water-scarce regions, including clogging, high sediment yields and excessive evaporation. The authors present a novel subsurface artificial feeding method by injecting treated wastewater into the ground through permeable pipes. Multiple experiments are conducted using a physical model in a laboratory setting, varying parameters such as flow rate, soil texture and trench dimensions to assess the effectiveness of their new AR method. The research presents a sustainable and effective solution for managed aquifer recharge in arid areas, aiding in both water resource management and the improvement of groundwater quality.Our second subsurface study by Guo et al. (2025) shifts the focus from water scarcity to geo-mechanical stability during deep underground construction. Investigating the mechanical response of surrounding rock in water-rich zones, the authors build a non-linear numerical model of fluid–solid coupling to analyse multi-field responses during progressive excavation. Their findings reveal a critical risk to deep underground construction: as initial pore water pressure increases, the surrounding rock’s plastic zone expands, increasing deformation and the range of groundwater influence. This work highlights the necessity of timely and robust support measures like advanced grouting and bolting to enhance shear strength at depth.I hope you enjoy the papers in this issue. Please remember you can access more recent papers in the Ahead of Print section on Emerald Insight. Until next time!