The modification of the Turia River’s course in the 1960s marked a pivotal transformation in Valencia’s urban landscape, evolving from a flood protection measure into a hallmark of sustainable urban development. However, recent rainfalls and flooding events produced directly by the phenomenon known as DANA ((Isolated Depression at High Levels) in October 2024 have exposed vulnerabilities in the infrastructure, particularly in the rapidly urbanized southern areas, raising questions about the effectiveness of past solutions in the context of climate change and urban expansion. As a result of this fragility, more than 200 deaths have occurred, along with material losses in 87 municipalities, whose industrial infrastructure accounts for nearly one-third of the economic activity in the Province of Valencia, valued at 479.6 million euros. This paper presents, for the first time, a historical-document-based approach to evaluate the successes and shortcomings of Valencia’s flood management strategies through policy and spatial planning analysis. Also, this paper remarks the ongoing challenges and potential strategies for enhancing Valencia’s urban resilience, emphasizing the need for innovative water management systems, improved drainage infrastructure, and the renaturalization of flood-prone areas. The lessons learned from Valencia’s experience in 1957 and 2024 can inform future urban planning efforts in similar contexts facing the dual pressures of environmental change and urbanization.

This study focuses on the use of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model for water budgeting and resource planning in Oued Cherraa basin. The combination of hydrological models such as SWAT with reliable meteorological data makes it possible to simulate water availability and manage water resources. In this study, the SWAT model was employed to estimate hydrological parameters in the Oued Cherra basin, utilizing meteorological data (2012–2020) sourced from the Moulouya Hydraulic Basin Agency (ABHM). The hydrology of the basin is therefore represented by point data from the Tazarhine hydrological station for the 2009–2020 period. In order to optimize the accuracy of a specific model, namely SWAT-CUP, a calibration and validation process was carried out on the aforementioned model using observed flow data. The SUFI-2 algorithm was utilized in this process, with the aim of enhancing its precision. The performance of the model was then evaluated using statistical parameters, with particular attention being given to Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and coefficient of determination (R²). The NSE values for the study were 0.58 for calibration and 0.60 for validation, while the corresponding R² values were 0.66 and 0.63. The study examined 16 hydrological parameters for Oued Cherra, determining that evapotranspiration accounted for 89% of the annual rainfall, while surface runoff constituted only 6%. It also showed that groundwater recharge was pretty much negligible. This emphasized how important it is to manage water resources effectively. The calibrated SWAT model replicated flow patterns pretty well, which gave us some valuable insights into the water balance and availability. The study’s primary conclusions were that surface water is limited and that shallow aquifers are a really important source of water storage, especially for irrigation during droughts.

The paper at hand analyses the principal-agent relationship, where comparative perspective between principals’ (municipalities) and agents’ (public utility providers) in the field of water and wastewater management is scrutinized. The goal of the paper is twofold: firstly, to present empirical results validating principal-agent relationships that emerged due to the reorganization process of public enterprises; secondly, to highlight the similarities and differences between the perspectives of principals and agents regarding motives, advantages and disadvantages, and price-setting in relation to the reorganization process. The empirical research is based on the primary data collected through two self-prepared and structured online questionnaires—one for municipalities, and the other for public utility providers. The results reveal similarities between public enterprises and municipalities in motivating factors for full municipal ownership. However, differences are seen among the advantages of the reorganization process. Price-setting by public utilities is recognized as a motivating mechanism for agents.

Tropical peat swamp is an essential ecosystem experiencing increased degradation over the past few decades. Therefore, this study used the social-ecological system (SES) perspective to explain the complex relationship between humans and nature in the Sumatran Peatlands Biosphere Reserve. The peat swamp forest has experienced a significant decline, followed by a significant increase in oil palm and forest plantations in areas designated for peat protection. Human systems have evolved to become complex and hierarchical, constituting individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions. Studies on SES conducted in the tropical peatlands of Asia have yet to address the co-evolutionary processes occurring in this region, which could illustrate the dynamic relationship between humans and nature. This study highlights the co-evolutionary processes occurring in the tropical peatland biosphere reserve and provides insights into their sustainability trajectory. Moreover, the coevolution process shows that biosphere reserve is shifting toward an unsustainable path. This is indicated by ongoing degradation in three zones and a lack of a comprehensive framework for landscape-scale water management. Implementing landscape-scale water management is essential to sustain the capacity of peatlands social-ecological systems facing disturbances, and it is important to maintain biodiversity. In addition, exploring alternative development pathways can help alter these trajectories toward sustainability.

One of the most important factors for raising living standards is the drivers supporting water conservation and water management. Individual’s attitude and emotional factors with social cognitive behavior will play an essential role. This empirical study utilizing mixed methods was carried out in Malaysia with the Y generation. The focus group consisted of 52 participants (18 men and 34 women). As for the quantitative study, 607 respondents from the Generation Y population were used with the convenience sampling method. The finding revealed that the outcome expectancy of Generation Y significantly improves water conservation with appropriate water management. Environmental factors, personal factors, and perceived self-efficacy all predicted the result expectancy, which is confirmed by identifications of reciprocal determinism.