Water Cycle

Water plays a critical role in supporting life and ecosystems. However, a combination of ever-growing demands on water resources and low water use efficiency has caused severe water and environmental stresses, increasing the risk of contamination. An interdisciplinary, integrated and balanced approach is required to secure the safety of the water supply and water environmental management systems. The development of a sustainable, multifaceted and multilevel water cycle system is a new and fast-growing focus in the field of water. The water cycle has traditionally referred to the natural circulation system, where water evaporates, condenses and falls to the ground in a continuous cycle. However, attention is shifting to the water meta-cycle, where water has multiple interactions with the environment, ecology, hydrology, hydraulics, civil engineering, meteorology and topography under different scales and dimensions. Understanding this water meta-cycle, the processes involved, and their potential impact is a scientific challenge of enormous importance. Progress is needed to advance our knowledge and to inform sustainable development.