This a regular issue of the Journal covering, as always, a broad range of issues in the drinking water, stormwater and wastewater sub-systems of urban water systems. In addition, we have papers taking a more systems-based approach. We would certainly wish to encourage you to continue submitting such papers showing the great diversity of urban water issues, environments and socio-economic conditions. However, we do have a request! Like many journals, we have the perennial problem of slow reviewer responses. Occasionally, papers have been marooned in the queue waiting for reviewers to provide comments, some of which never materialise. This inevitably leads to delays when we have to look for replacement reviewers; frustrating for authors and editors alike. The success of a journal depends on the voluntary contributions of peers and their willingness to sacrifice some of their free time to assess quality and provide comments on papers. We all benefit from this and your effort is very much appreciated. So, if you have long-delayed your review, please do action it now. Additionally, please do volunteer (yourself or others!) for the important job of reviewing future manuscripts.
A new development to report is that arrangements are now being finalised with our publishers (Taylor & Francis) to launch a new activity that will be complementary to the journal. Preparations have started to initiate publishing a series of monographs dealing with Urban Water Management. This has the advantage of allowing in-depth coverage of a specific topic, produced by leading figures in the field. Titles discussed so far include:
Sustainability of Groundwater in Urban Areas | |||||
Urban Water Management in Humid Tropics, in Cold Climates and in Arid and Semi Arid Climates | |||||
Health and Safety in Urban Water Management | |||||
Urban Aquatic Habitats | |||||
Urban Stream Rehabilitation; | |||||
Risk Management in Urban Water Related Natural and ‘Technological’ Disasters | |||||
Whilst most of the above books originate from ongoing UNESCO IHP Urban Water Management projects, the list is open for further suggestions and you are invited to come up with attractive titles, contents and a critical mass of contributing authors. Do let us know.
Urban water, in all its many guises, continues to hit the scientific, processional and indeed media headlines. A case in point is the recent UK House of Lords' Science & Technology Committee report on Water Management. A great deal of the report and most of the recommendations deal with urban issues such as the pressures of demographic, social and housing expansion on water demand, the need for greater emphasis on water efficiency and conservation measures and the role and importance of legislation/regulation in the sector. The report and its recommendations can be downloaded in full from: www.publications. parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldsctech/191/191i.pdf
Čedo Maksimović
David Butler