Aims and Scope
Irrigation and Melioration is a peer-reviewed, open-access scientific and technical journal devoted to irrigation, drainage, land reclamation and the sustainable management of water and land resources.
Aim and international mission
The journal aims to disseminate scientific knowledge and sound engineering solutions that support efficient water use, improve the condition of irrigated land, enhance the reliability of hydraulic infrastructure and help the water sector adapt to climate change. It supports research that combines engineering, hydrological, environmental, agronomic and management approaches to these challenges.
The journal welcomes authors from all countries and promotes the international exchange of research findings. Particular attention is given to Uzbekistan, Central Asia and other regions facing water scarcity and characterised by extensive irrigated agriculture. Local and regional studies are welcome when their methods, findings or identified limitations have scientific significance, are explained in the context of existing knowledge and may be useful in comparable settings.
Subject area and categories
The subject area is Environmental Science. To describe the journal’s scientific profile, the editorial team uses the following categories from the All Science Journal Classification (ASJC), which is used in Scopus:
| ASJC 2300 | General Environmental Science |
|---|---|
| ASJC 2312 | Water Science and Technology |
Main research areas
1. Irrigation systems, drainage and land reclamation
Design, operation and management of irrigation systems; soil water and salt dynamics, salinisation and reclamation of saline land; groundwater level regulation; design and modernisation of collector-drainage systems; assessment of the condition and restoration of irrigated land.
2. Hydraulic engineering and hydraulics
Design, construction, operation and rehabilitation of hydraulic structures; river and canal hydraulics; hydrodynamic modelling, channel processes and sediment transport; reservoir safety, reliability and management; assessment of infrastructure condition and risks.
3. Integrated water resources management (IWRM)
Water management balances, water allocation and accounting, basin planning and transboundary water resources management; surface water–groundwater interactions; balancing the needs of agriculture, other water users and ecosystems; water quality and water resources protection in relation to water use.
4. Water-saving and innovative irrigation technologies
Drip, sprinkler, subsurface and surge irrigation; determination of irrigation schedules and application rates; management of crop water use; assessment of water productivity, energy requirements, economic efficiency and environmental impacts under specific application conditions.
5. Digital technologies, geographic information systems and monitoring
Geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, sensors and automated monitoring of water and land resources; mapping and spatial analysis; decision support systems, machine learning and digital models for irrigation, land reclamation and water management.
6. Hydrology, climate change and water-related risks
River runoff generation and change, water balance, hydrological forecasting and modelling; the effects of climate variability and climate change on water availability; drought, flood and water scarcity risks; adaptation of irrigation and water management systems.
7. Mechanisation and automation in agriculture and water management
Machinery, equipment and technological processes for the construction, maintenance and operation of irrigation and drainage systems; pumping installations and water delivery; automated equipment control, energy efficiency and operational reliability. Agricultural mechanisation is considered in relation to irrigated agriculture, land reclamation and efficient water use.
8. Water policy, economics and institutional change
Scientific assessment of water policy, reforms, organisational models and economic instruments in irrigation and land reclamation; water use management, water user participation and the effectiveness of modernisation. Empirical, comparative and theoretical studies with transparent methods and well-supported conclusions are considered.
Article types and expected scientific contribution
The journal publishes original research and review articles. It considers field-based, laboratory, computational, theoretical, methodological and interdisciplinary research. Review articles must present a transparent approach to selecting the literature, a critical synthesis of findings and an assessment of unresolved scientific questions.
A study must state a clear research question or objective, explain the choice of methods and data sources, present verifiable results, and discuss uncertainties, limitations and the conditions under which its conclusions apply. Models and new methods require verification, validation or comparison appropriate to the research task. Sound studies reporting negative results and studies testing previously reported findings are assessed against the same scientific criteria.
Scope boundaries
Research in related fields falls within the journal’s scope when its principal scientific contribution is directly connected to irrigation, land reclamation, hydraulic infrastructure or water resources management. This also applies to studies in environmental science, agronomy, economics, mechanisation and digital technologies.
General educational studies, descriptions of institutional activities, summaries of regulations, promotional materials and technical descriptions without scientific analysis do not fit the journal’s scope or scholarly article format. Relevance to the scope is assessed during initial editorial screening; scientific quality is evaluated through peer review.