“Only” 2 years later, the MinWat2020, the third International Multidisciplinary Conference on Mineral and Thermal Waters, will be held in June 2022 in Caserta.
The Conference co-sponsored by the IAH Commission on Mineral, Thermal Waters and Ferrarelle S.p.A. aims to stimulate interactions and exchanges between scientists and managers on these important groundwater resources widely used for therapeutic, balneological, water bottling, and energetic purposes. We also wish to highlight the energetic aspects, in such a critical period for the whole world, are particularly important from an ecological transition point of view.
After 2 long years in which the world has undoubtedly changed, not sure for good, the surprise is that most probably for the first time, the EGAH Special Issue of the Conference will be presented directly at the meeting and not as usually occurs, sometime after.
Evidently, all of us have done our best thinking only that MinWat2020, a scientific and social event, would have been held in Italy, and we were sure that the dark period(s) we have all known would have finally been left for calmer and more serein times. Obviously, the war has changed this view but we must remains positive and optimistic for the future. We also need to thank all of you that have trusted us and have decided despite these long years to come and meet us and again share ideas and projects, also discovering together Italian foods and wines and possibly making new friends.
This EGAH Special Issue contains 20 papers covering different topics related to mineral and thermal waters in various world regions. It gives how many scientists are interested in an extensive variety of aspects related to these special waters. Ten articles (Olea-Olea et al., 2022; Benderev et al., 2021; Bonotto, 2021; Corniello et al., 2021; Cuoco et al., 2021; Li Vigni et al., 2021; Meng et al., 2021; Rman et al., 2021; Sacchi et al., 2021; Tassi et al., 2020) concern the geochemical processes that determine the peculiar quality feature of mineral and thermal waters in different geological and hydrogeological environments. Four articles deal with the therapeutic properties and the health effects of mineral and thermal waters (Filimonova et al., 2022; Rufino et al., 2021; Scungio et al., 2021; Tuulik et al., 2021). Four articles address issues of management, sustainability, and the impact of climate change on these groundwater resources through analytical and numerical models (Bastiancich et al., 2021; Kicsiny et al., 2021; Torresan et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2021). Finally, two more articles examine energy aspects related to geothermal resources (Hałaj et al., 2021; Wachowicz-Pyzik et al., 2022).
The aim of the works collected in this EGAH Special Issue is to send a clear message: Mineral and thermal waters, while representing a small percentage of groundwater, are resources of considerable economic, social, and environmental values that require multidisciplinary knowledge for their sustainable management. The idea that comes from most manuscripts is how to better understand, from chemistry, isotopic chemistry, hydrogeology, and then preserve this unique treasure we have. This resource can become beneficial for many and must be kept as it is for those coming in the future, for subsequent generations. In a few words, there is no future without water. Our work is not only to understand and study these special waters, but we must also share our knowledge with the main stakeholders (e.g., administrators, mineral waters companies, and spa managers) and finally to end users. This approach must be used to promote the use of thermal waters and aquifers not only for therapeutic purposes but also to improve “clean” geothermal energy.
In a few words, MinWat2020 and this related EGAH Special Issue intend to talk to scientists and the whole society and help to spread ideas, methods, and approaches for a more responsible and participated use of these, sometimes, invisible resource.
Finally, this EGAH Special Issue containing articles from many countries also highlights the need to bring our knowledge to developing countries. The lack of contributions from Africa is evidence of this issue. The need to help scientists from developing/less fortunate countries must be a target in the following years. This also should be the aim of MinWat2020, creating a cultural bridge from different water cultures and supporting North–South collaborations.
We must thank EGAH and its very competent personnel who have continuously accompanied us during the long process of preparing, submitting, and finally accepting manuscripts. We must also thank all reviewers who have taken their role seriously. Finally, thank you to all who have submitted, patiently waited, worked and reworked to improve their manuscripts.
References
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Benderev, A., Trayanova, M., Tarassov, M., & Tarassova, E. (2021). Conditions and processes of precipitation of iron compounds upon discharge of high-mineralized artesian water from artesian borehole R-30, Staro Oryahovo, Bulgaria. Environmental Geochemistry and Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-021-01107-6
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Tedesco, D. Special issue MinWat2020, third international multidisciplinary conference on mineral and thermal waters. Environ Geochem Health 44, 1921–1923 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01264-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01264-2