Editor-In-Chief outlines vision for sustainable watersheds

Watershed Ecology and the Environment welcomes Professor Xinghui Xia of Beijing Normal University as its new Co-Editor-in-Chief. Marking her appointment, Professor Xia, together with Editor-in-Chief Professor Baoshan Cui, has published a forward-looking editorial that sets out critical priorities and a compelling vision for the future of watershed science.

In the editorial, led by Professor Xia, the interconnected challenges of pollution and climate change are emphasized as requiring an equally interconnected scientific response. "We need deeper theoretical frameworks to explain basin-scale resilience," the editorial notes, highlighting the urgency of understanding how watersheds respond to multiple stressors.

A key thrust of the editorial is the powerful synergy between water quality management and climate goals. It points to nature-based solutions—such as restoring wetlands or adopting regenerative agriculture—as win-win strategies. "Such solutions exemplify the practical integration of watershed pollution controls and climate adaptation, offering multiple dividends when appropriately designed and implemented," the authors write.

Looking ahead, the editorial outlines specific research themes the journal will prioritize under its renewed leadership. These include the dynamics of emerging contaminants, the interplay between water, carbon, and nutrients, and the development of advanced modeling technologies. Crucially, it calls for studies that directly inform policy, stating, "Research should help optimize multi-objective management strategies... and design adaptive institutions capable of navigating uncertainty and change."

This editorial, spearheaded by Professor Xia and supported by Professor Cui, serves as both a roadmap for the scientific community and a statement of intent for the journal. By championing interdisciplinary science that delivers actionable insights, the editors aim to steer the field toward a more sustainable and resilient future for our planet's essential water systems.