Integrated Approaches to Water Quality and Resource Resilience: Advances in Hydrology, Treatment, and Climate Adaptation

Water resources are being subjected to unprecedented pressure due to population growth, urbanization, industries, intensive farming and the increasing effects of global warming. These stressors are compromising the quality and quantity of freshwater resources, escalating threats to human health, life forms, and to socio-economic conditions. Traditional methods that consider hydrology, water quality, treatment technologies, and resilience planning as stand-alone areas are increasingly less sufficient, since the development of one area is often reliant on the development of the others. The present review synthesizes the recent studies that were published within 2014-2025 in four interconnected pillars, namely: hydrological modelling and climate effects study, water quality and transport of contaminants, water and wastewater treatment innovations, and integrated management through resilience. The usefulness of integrated approaches is demonstrated in case studies conducted in different areas such as Singapore, the Netherlands, California, and Africa, among others. The review finds conclusively that combined solutions are the key to sustainable and resilient water future, because only integrated development in the fields of hydrology, treatment, and resilience will guarantee water security in the environment of growing uncertainty.