A compelling look at the challenges of freshwater conservation and management issues facing the United States at the start of the new millennium. Battles have been fought, lives have been lost, countries divided-and all for one reason-water. Freshwater Issues provides a quick education in the basics and essential issues of freshwater management. From water supply and resource information to the role of water in ecosystems, the coverage also provides global water data, examines uncertainties about future water supplies, and addresses technological advances in the development of water resources and environmental safeguards. Thorough treatment is given to water rights, allocation issues, and U.S. water laws and their many regional variations. This is followed by an explanation of the economics of water, from ownership and pricing to social impact and discussions of often-conflicting public, environmental, and private interests. The war over water has just begun.

This book is the second edited compilation of selected, refereed papers submitted to ERTEP 2007. The book is organized into 10 chapters along four of the key themes that were discussed at the conference: Environmental Health Management; Mining and Environment; Environmental Monitoring and Policy Development; and Susta- ability and Social Responsibility. It is hoped that the contents of the book will p- vide an insight into some of the environmental and health management challenges confronting the developing world and the steps being taken to address them. The ?rst three chapters under the Environmental Health and Management theme discusses issues related to food security and related environmental distress in sub- Saharan Africa. Chapter 1 argues that pervasive poverty and low agricultural p- ductivity are important factors in understanding food insecurity in the region, and broader global processes are examined. This chapter maintains that while poverty undermines individual and household access to suf?cient food through market p- chase, land inequalities, corruption, structural adjustment programs, civil con?ict, HIV/AIDS and the role of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Agric- ture are decisive. The authors argue that achieving food security in sub-Saharan Africa requires policies and actions that are integrated with efforts to reduce poverty, enhance livelihoods and incomes and increase agricultural output, while also paying attention to underlying structural factors that bear on agriculture in the region.

This book presents a new way of looking at and analyzing policies, programs and/or plans in which research scientists have used their knowledge to develop mechanisms such as South Africa's National Water Resource Strategy, Second Edition; Australian and South African climate change adaptation strategies for government entities and the UNDP's Water and Ocean Governance focus area. It critically assesses how science can be used in the service of society and how researchers and practitioners can bridge the gaps that arise as a result of incomplete thinking. Presenting a bird's-eye view of how thinking and understanding operate in the policy context, it offers a valuable contribution to fields of inquiry such as research methods, comparative analyses, political science, international relations and the natural and social sciences in general. This book fills a market gap, providing real-world solutions to the practical application of science, paradigms and theories.

The Asia-Pacific region is one of the most vulnerable to a variety of natural and manmade hazards. This edited book productively brings together scholars and senior public officials having direct experience in dealing with or researching on recent major natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific. The chapters focus on disaster preparedness and management, including pre-event planning and mitigation, crisis leadership and emergency response, and disaster recovery. Specific events discussed in this book include a broad spectrum of disasters such as tropical storms and typhoons in the Philippines; earthquakes in China; tsunamis in Indonesia, Japan, and Maldives; and bushfires in Australia. The book aims to generate discussions about improved risk reduction strategies throughout the region. It seeks to provide a comparative perspective across countries to draw lessons from three perspectives: public policy, humanitarian systems, and community engagement.

Water is a key issue on the agenda of peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours. The circumstances in which Gaza gained its autonomy leaves it in a disadvantageous position with respect to water, and a deal on the hotly contested issue of the West Bank aquifers will be a protracted process. This book brings together the work of individuals involved directly in the negotiations and experts from various disciplines who have devoted their professional lives to the study of water and its management in the Jordan Basin. It looks at the issue from many different perspectives, offers new ideas and presents a realistic picture for the future.

Access to reliable and affordable energy, water, and services is an important determinant of the prosperity of cities along with effective mission sustainment at military installations. The idea for this book was conceived at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) in June 2012 in Hella, Iceland. The workshop was attended by 50 scientists, engineers, and policymakers representing 15 different nations and multiple fields of expertise, reflecting the global and interdisciplinary nature of climate change and sustainability research. The focus of the workshop was on ways in which military installations and small cities can integrate energy, water, and infrastructure sustainability strategies into city and installation management plans that account for climate change uncertainties. The organization of the book reflects major topic sessions and discussions during the workshop.

Research in tropical forestry is confronted with the task of finding strategies to alleviate pressure on remaining forests, and techniques to enhance forest regeneration and restore abandoned lands, using productive alternatives that can be attractive to local human populations. In addition, sustainable forestry in tropical countries must be supported by adequate policies to promote and maintain specific activities at local and regional scales.

Here, a multi-disciplinary approach is presented, to better the understanding of tropical forest ecology, as a necessary step in developing adequate strategies for conservation and management. The authors have long experience in both academic and practical matters related to tropical forest ecology and management.

Comprising specially selected papers this book presents trans-disciplinary research on issues related to the nature of water, and its use and exploitation by society. The valuable research contained in this book demonstrates the need to bridge the gap between physical, biological, environmental and health sciences. Water is essential for sustaining life on our planet, nevertheless its unequal distribution is a source of permanent conflict. It is predicted that population growth and irregular rainfall, due to climate change, may lead to more restricted access to water in certain regions of the world. This problem is made even more severe by human actions that can cause degradation to nature and the environment. The availability of clean and inexpensive water can no longer be taken for granted as the need for water continues to increase due a growing global population. Heavy water consumers such as agriculture and industry often contribute to its contamination. Water distribution networks in urban areas and soiled water collection systems, present serious problems as well as the need to maintain ageing infrastructures. Possible technologically solutions, such as desalination or pumping systems are energy demanding but, as costs rise, the techniques currently developed may need to be re-assessed.

How can the Eartha (TM)s finite water resources be managed sustainably to meet the growing needs of humans and of nature in ways that avert the looming crisis? The need to find answers to this question has exercised the minds of many scientists, practitioners and policymakers who recognise the urgency of the problems. These concerns have spawned a number of international research initiatives and programs, prominent representatives of which met to review progress and exchange views at an international conference in Bonn, Germany in February 2005.

The pressing water problems must clearly be tackled from an integrated perspective taking into account environmental, human and technological factors and especially their interdependence. The key papers in this volume from the Bonn conference focus on the challenges of integrated assessment of water resources in the context of global change. The growing gap between North and South is also addressed, in terms not only of access to water and its quality, but also of the capacity to do research and implement solutions.

The coverage of the papers is up-to-date and comprehensive. Highlights include emerging concepts such as blue and green water, virtual water, the water footprints of nations, multi-agent modelling, linkages between water and biodiversity, and social learning and adaptive management.

The book provides an elaborate treatment of groundwater prospecting and management covering remote sensing, geological-geophysical cum hydrogeological studies, exploration (geological and geophysical), development (well logging techniques, pump test, its analysis and applications in well design), contamination (pollution of groundwater) and regulatory legislations regarding groundwater utilization under one cover. The book presents an elucidation of fundamental and theoretical background of each technique supported by necessary illustrative examples and exclusive case studies. It is a text-cum-reference book not only for students, research scholars and practicing earth scientists but also for practicing civil and agricultural engineers working in the application of groundwater resources, engaged in its exploration, development, contamination, legislation and management. The general readers can also refer the book for understanding the groundwater domain for adequate knowledge, as groundwater resources are essential life support commodity which is replenishable but not inexhaustible.

This book examines green management practices among top-performing companies operating on the Chinese mainland. It begins with the question: what constitutes a "green" company? Is this definition different when we consider China's sustainability efforts? Taken into consideration are such aspects as green management vision, supplier management programs, resource usage and investment in the environment. Through in-depth interviews with sustainability leaders and top executives, this Green Management Book will reveal how to systematically create or improve existing green management strategies in China. It uses actual case studies from domestic and foreign companies to highlight these practices. Over 2 years of extensive research - working with the research board of the Fortune China CSR rankings and China-based CSR strategy platform InnoCSR - contribute to a comprehensive list of companies that are leading the way towards a greener China.

An illustrated history of the pastoral nomadic way of life in Mongolia, this book examines the many challenges that Mongolian herders continue to face in the struggle over natural resources in the post-socialist free market era.

Central Asia is vulnerable to water scarcity because it is located in semiarid and arid vegetation zones and large parts of its economy depend on water for irrigation and energy. Climate-change scenarios predict temperature increases and a rising number of extreme weather events, which will exacerbate water shortages in the future. In addition, the population of Central Asia is growing more rapidly than the rate of food production which is resulting in food insecurity in many parts of the region too. This volume reports the deliberations of politicians, scientists and representatives of water management organizations from throughout Central Asia. Their contributions not only highlight areas of concern, but also propose numerous ideas for improving the long-term water- and food security in the region.

Tropical rainforests are disappearing at an alarming rate, causing unprecedented losses in biodiversity and ecosystem services. This book contributes to an improved understanding of the processes that have destabilizing effects on ecological and socio-economic systems of tropical rain forest margins, as well as striving to integrate environmental, technological and socio-economic issues in their solution.

Through case studies, opposing viewpoints, and primary documents, this reference work examines the environmental and sustainability issues regarding water as well as how water is an intrinsic part of human culture. Every culture and ecosystem on earth depends on water. As the world's climate changes, human culture is increasingly threatened by the seemingly opposite problems of having too little clean, potable water and "having too much water"—e.g., flooding, melting polar ice caps, and rising sea levels. What are the solutions that humanity must collectively pursue to protect our ability to flourish on planet earth? Water Planet: The Culture, Politics, Economics, and Sustainability of Water on Earth offers an unprecedented examination of the critical subject of water sustainability. Its essays, viewpoints, case studies, and documents show how this vital resource that many in first-world countries take for granted is intricately woven into not only basic human survival but also cultural, political, and economic stability. Readers will learn about topics such as flooding and drought; the growing problem of water pollution; the connections between water and gender, including gender equity and gender aspects of water ownership; the effects of global temperature changes on the water supply; concerns regarding fishing and overfishing; water security; and sustainable water management.

The Alsea Logging and Aquatic Resources Study, commissioned by the Oregon Legislature in 1959, marked the beginning of four decades of research in the Pacific Northwest devoted to understanding the impacts of forest practices on water quality, water quantity, aquatic habitat, and aquatic organism popu- tions. While earlier watershed research examined changes in runoff and erosion from various land uses, this study was the first watershed experiment to focus so heavily on aquatic habitat and organism response to forest practices. The Alsea Watershed Study, as it came to be known, extended over 15 years with seven years of pretreatment calibration measurements, a year of treatment, and seven years of post-treatment monitoring. The research was a cooperative effort with scientists from Oregon State University, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Cooperating landowners included the Georgia-Pacific Corporation, the U.S. Forest Service, and a local rancher. It was a remarkable 15-year partnership marked by excellent cooperation among the participants and outstanding coordination among the scientists, many of whom participated actively for the entire period.

This detailed study is the first complete attempt to describe the vulnerability of minerals of strategic importance to the United States. It determines not only which are the primary strategic minerals, but what risks are involved in obtaining them from current sources and transporting them by current routes. Anderson first surveys which nations the United States is dependent upon for its strategic minerals and then turns to an analysis of the total global strategic mineral infrastructure.

Rising sea levels and altered weather patterns are expected to significantly alter coastal and inland environments for humans, infrastructure and ecosystems. Potential land-use changes and population increases, coupled with uncertain predictions for sea level rise and storm frequency/intensity represent a significant planning challenge. While efforts to mitigate climate change continue, plans must be made to adapt to the risks that climate change poses to humans, infrastructure, and ecosystems alike. This book addresses integrated environmental assessment and management as part of the nexus of climate change adaptation. Risk analysis has emerged as a useful approach to guide assessment, communication and management of security risks. However, with respect to climate change, an integrated, multi-criteria, multi-hazard, risk-informed decision framework is desirable for evaluating adaptation strategies. The papers in Part 1 summarize societal and political needs for climate change adaptation. Part 2 includes papers summarizing the state of the art in climate change adaptation. Three further parts cover: the process of change in coastal regions, in inland regions, and, finally, the potential challenges to homeland security for national governments. Each of these parts reviews achievements, identifies gaps in current knowledge, and suggests research priorities.

This book exposes the barriers to inclusive and effective public policy making, which are the current decision making paradigm and commonly held ideas that reduce public policy problems to scientific and technical ones. Through both environmental policy and other decision making examples, readers are shown the commonalities of all decision making. Solution-oriented practitioners and stakeholders will find this book filling a conceptual and methodological gap in existing policy literature and practice. The authors deftly guide readers from post-normal science, wicked problems, and uncertainty concepts to a conceptually-grounded, practical implementation of a new approach, the open solution approach. The Multi-criteria Integrated Resource Assessment (MIRA) is described as the first generation methodology that fulfills the expectations for the inclusive, transparent, and learning-based open solutions approach. MIRA is a holistic package of concepts, methods and analytical tools that is designed to assess Decision Uncertainty, the combined uncertainties that include data, problem formulation, expert judgments, and stakeholder opinions. Introduction of the Requisite Steps, the common steps found in all decision making, provides the yardstick for evaluating a variety of decision making processes, decision tools, and commonly found indices such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average or the Newsweek Green Ranking of corporations. The use of anecdotes, policy stories, and case examples makes this a very readable and practical book for citizens and experts. With this book, readers are prepared to critically evaluate these common indices for their personal use as well as challenge policy processes as a stakeholder. For policy practitioners, this guidebook will become a rubric to ensure an effective public policy making process and to critically evaluate decision support tools.

On the night of October 18, 1925, fire raged through the downtown area of the tiny Catskill Mountain Village of Gilboa, New York. Firefighters came from miles around to fight the inferno while tourists sat on the hilltops to watch the show. In the end, 18 buildings lay in smoldering ruins. Yet, this fire was not the end of Gilboa, merely a climax of events that were razing the community more slowly. Gilboa was in the way of the Schoharie Reservoir, one of the numerous artificial lakes collecting water for thirsty New Yorkers. In order for New York City to growing, the people of Gilboa would be forced to move, and the town would need to be burned to the ground. In Gilboa, Alexander Thomas traces the evolving dynamics between New York and its hinterland. Starting with the role of native inhabitants, their Dutch colonizers, and the role of British manor law, this historical investigation then explores the construction of the original reservoir, battles against a second reservoir in the 1970s, and battles over environmental regulations in the 1990s. Gilboa is a must read for those interested in urban and rural issues, social conflict and social movements, and anyone who enjoys New York-state and city-history.

Forty percent of the worlda (TM)s population depends upon increasingly scarce and shared water resources. This situation is critical at both international and national levels not only for socio-economic development, but also for the regional stability. The intensive use of groundwater for irrigation and water supply is adding pressures to scarce water resources and the environment through overexploitation and contamination which result in situations that may lead to conflicts. The book from the NATO ASI on Overexploitation and Contamination of Shared Groundwater Resources Management, (Bio)technological, and Political Approaches to Avoid Conflicts is written by authors from different disciplines and regions of the world. The aim of the book is to contribute to the knowledge of shared groundwater resources management to avoid conflicts by considering multi-disciplinary approaches based on effective and equitable water sharing for all water users through cooperation and within a compassionate ecological framework along with the need for sustainable resources development and the quest for environmental and human security. The scope of the book covers the hydrogeological, environmental, (bio)technological and management aspects of shared groundwater resources integrating social, economic and political dimensions as well as legal and educational perspectives.

By providing a unique combination of theories on the state, on territoriality and on governance, The Disoriented State explores the relationship between state governmentality and specific forms of policy making.

The Disoriented State begins with a theorisation of these new modes of territoriality, governmentality and governance by three prominent scholars in the field: Neil Brenner, Phil Cerny and Bob Jessop. This is followed by a series of in-depth case studies which manifest the variety as well the various forms of co-constitution between state governmentality, new modes of governance and policy-making, focusing on migration, spatial economic policy, city-marketing, urban development, water management and environmental policy.

This book examines social and natural environmental changes in present-day Laos and presents a new research framework for environmental studies from an interdisciplinary point of view. In Laos, after the Lao version of perestroika, Chintanakaan Mai, in 1986, for better or worse, rural development and urbanization have progressed, and people's livelihoods are about to change significantly. Compared to those of the neighboring countries of mainland Southeast Asia, however, many traditional livelihoods such as region-specific/ethnic-specific livelihood complexes, which combined traditional rice farming with a variety of subsistence activities, have been carried over into the present in Laos. The biggest challenge this book presents is to elucidate livelihood strategies of people who cope successfully with both social and environmental changes and to illustrate how to maintain this rich social and natural environment of Laos in the future. The book includes chapters on social, cultural, and natural concerns and on ethnicity, urbanization, and regional development in Laos. All chapters are based on original data from field surveys. These data will greatly contribute not only to local studies in Laos but also to environmental studies in developing countries.

This book explains the development paths taken by the wind power sector in Denmark, Germany, Spain, France and the United Kingdom. It explores how wind power has been promoted, and critically reviews public policies to support it. It analyses the economic and environmental implications of its integration into the electricity supply industry, whilst considering issues of planning and social acceptance, and exploring why wind power has been contested.

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology attempts to provide concise, critical reviews of timely advances, philosophy and significant areas of accomplished or needed endeavor in the total field of xenobiotics, in any segment of the environment, as well as toxicological implications.