Provides an in-depth look at science, policy and management in the water sector across the globe Sustainable water management is an increasingly complex challenge and policy priority facing global society. This book examines how governments, municipalities, corporations, and individuals find sustainable water management pathways across competing priorities of water for ecosystems, food, energy, economic growth and human consumption. It looks at the current politics and economics behind the management of our freshwater ecosystems and infrastructure and offers insightful essays that help stimulate more intense and informed debate about the subject and its need for local and international cooperation.
The book makes it clear how most of the currently used purification techniques violate the natural cycle involving sunlight, CO2 and water, and thus become unsustainable. A series of water purification techniques, as usable for drinking, agricultural and industrial applications are presented. The advantages of these techniques and their long-term sustainability are highlighted, with discussion on improvements in the future. Whether for the engineer or scientist working in the field or laboratory or the student, this is a must-have for any engineer, scientist, student, or policymaker.
The Ogallala aquifer, a vast underground water reserve extending from South Dakota through Texas, is the product of eons of accumulated glacial melts, ancient Rocky Mountain snowmelts, and rainfall, all percolating slowly through gravel beds hundreds of feet thick. Ogallala: Water for a Dry Land is an environmental history and historical geography that tells the story of human defiance and human commitment within the Ogallala region. This newly updated third edition discusses three main issues: long-term drought and its implications, the efforts of several key groundwater management districts to regulate the aquifer, and T. Boone Pickens's failed effort to capture water from the aquifer to supply major Texas urban areas. This edition also describes the fierce independence of Texas ranchers and farmers who reject any governmental or bureaucratic intervention in their use of water, and it updates information about the impact of climate change on the aquifer and agriculture.
A radical new approach to tackling the growing threat of water scarcity Water is essential to life, yet humankind's relationship with water is complex. For millennia, we have perceived it as abundant and easily accessible. But water shortages are fast becoming a persistent reality for all nations, rich and poor. With demand outstripping supply, a global water crisis is imminent. In this trenchant critique of current water policies and practices, Edward Barbier argues that our water crisis is as much a failure of water management as it is a result of scarcity. Outdated governance structures and institutions, combined with continual underpricing, have perpetuated the overuse and undervaluation of water and disincentivized much-needed technological innovation. As a result "water grabbing" is on the rise, and cooperation to resolve these disputes is increasingly fraught. Barbier draws on evidence from countries across the globe to show the scale of the problem, and outlines the policy and management solutions needed to avert this crisis.
Bridging academic discussion and real-world case studies, this book considers the challenge of balancing the provision of the basic human right of access to water whilst not eroding our capacity to live sustainably in a rapidly changing world. It considers the impact of climate change on the water cycle and discusses how this will increase the vulnerability of communities, including those in regions that already experience acute water challenges. The book also highlights the need for more urgent action on increasing the resilience and quality of freshwater ecosystems and how this links to sanitation practices. The book concludes with a discussion of some of the key challenges and possible solutions to meeting SDG6.
Water Harvesting for Groundwater Management: Issues, Perspectives, Scope and Challenges offers chapters covering: issues on water harvesting and water security; mega-trends that impact water security; groundwater occurrence, availability, and recharge-ability; phases of water harvesting systems; SWOT analysis of water harvesting systems; case studies and short examples of implementing water harvesting; scope of water harvesting for GWM strategies; guidelines to make water harvesting helpful and meaningful for GWM; and more. Summarizes the theories and applications of water harvesting for groundwater management for a world audience Offers guidance on effective water harvesting approaches for groundwater recharge, managed aquifer recharge, and successful water management strategies Evaluates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of water harvesting technologies and will be of great interest to water managers, administrators, professionals, academics and researchers working in water management.