![]() |
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
|
Your cart is empty |
||
|
Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences > The hydrosphere
Karstified rocks of different lithology cover more than 10% of the continental surface of our planet. It is known that some 20% or even a few percent more of the global population largely depends on karstic groundwater but in many karst areas all over the world there are limited natural resources including absence of drinking waters. The problems of water shortage, equitable water use or water protection from pollution, become more problematic when they come to transboundary regions. The Dinaric region is a classical karst area where created borders of newly established countries after the civil war in 1990s resulted with an urgent need to create ambience for sustainable water management. The project DIKTAS is one of the first ever attempts to establish sustainable integrated management principles in a transboundary karst aquifer of the magnitude of the Dinaric Karst System. This volume presents selected papers from the conference held in June 2014 in Trebinje, Bosnia & Herzegovina including presentations of some of the project's achievements but also number of other research results conducted in karst environments worldwide.
An important part of the risk management of natural hazards in mountain regions concerns the hazard assessment and the planning of protection measures in steep headwater catchments, i.e. torrent control and slope stabilization. Torrent processes in steep channels have their rightful place among the various alpine natural hazards and the corresponding control measures have a long tradition in the European alpine countries. In the planning and execution of such measures, professional experience has been of paramount importance. This experience was based primarily on observations made during and after hazardous events, as well as on regular field visits in the catchments of a steep headwater stream. Quantitative measurements, e.g. of the discharge and of the eroded and deposited solid materials, have been increasingly carried out only in the last decades. This set the basis to develop and improve quantitative methods to predict flow hydraulics, bedload transport and debris flows in torrent catchments. This publication presents an overview of methods to quantify channel processes in steep catchments. The understanding and the quantitative description of channel processes provides an essential basis for the planning of protection measures.
Biology and Management of Invasive Quagga and Zebra Mussels in the Western United States is a synthesis of the biology and management of invasive mussels from scientists and managers working on invasive quagga and zebra mussels in the western United States. Invasive dreissenid mussels have spread throughout southwestern United States at unprecedented speeds, and present a unique threat to native ecosystems. This book documents the efforts, both successful and unsuccessful, of individuals and agencies after dreissenid mussels invaded the West. Although the book is designed specifically for scientists and managers fighting invasive mussels in western waterbodies, it offers an opportunity for scientists and lake managers worldwide to compare successful strategies relevant to their unique situation. It includes guidance documents and protocols related to early detection, prevention, regulation, monitoring, and control of these invasive pests in the West. It compares quagga and zebra mussels in the western United States with those mussels colonizing the Great Lakes and European waters.
Lessons can be learnt from the past; from time to time it is useful for practitioners to look back over the historical developments of their science. Hydrogeology has developed from humble beginnings into the broad church of investigatory procedures which collectively form the modern-day hydrogeologist's tool box. Hydrogeology remains a branch of the over-arching science of geology and today provides analysis of the sub-surface part of the water cycle within a holistic approach to problem solving. The History of Hydrogeology, is a first attempt to bring the story of the evolution of the science of hydrogeology together from a country- or region-specific viewpoint. It does not cover history to the present day, nor does it deal with all countries involved in groundwater studies, but rather takes the story for specific key countries up and until about the period 1975 to 1980. This is when hydrogeology was still evolving and developing, and in some areas doing so quite rapidly. The book has been written not only for practitioners of hydrogeology and hydrology but also for teachers and students to see the context of the evolution of the science around the globe. The History of Hydrogeology will also be of interest to science historians and all those interested in the role that individuals, institutes and nations have played over the years in defining modern day studies of groundwater.
This outstanding reference book deals with effects of various agricultural practices on ground water quality and usage; and ground water management strategies for protection of ground water affected by agriculture.
The theory of waves is generalized on cases when waves change medium in which they appear and propagate. A reaction of structural elements and space objects to the dynamic actions of the different nature, durations, and intensities is studied. It considers the effects of transitions in the state and phase equations of media on the formation and propagation of extreme waves as a result of power, thermal, or laser pulsed action. The influence of cavitation and cool boiling of liquids, geometric and physical nonlinearity of walls on containers' strength, and the formation of extreme waves is studied. The theory can be also used to optimize impulse technology, in particular, in the optimization of explosive processing of sheet metal by explosion in a liquid. This book was written for researchers and engineers, as well as graduate students in the fields of thermal fluids, aerospace, nuclear engineering, and nonlinear waves.
The seas and oceans are currently taking centre stage in academic study and public consciousness. From the plastics littering our seas, to the role of climate change on ocean currents from unequal access of marine resources to the treacherous experiences of seafarers who keep our global economy afloat; now is a crucial time to examine how we live with the sea. This ambitious book brings together an interdisciplinary and international cohort of contributors from within and beyond academia. It offers a range and diversity of insights unlike previous collections. An 'oceanic turn' is taking place, with a burgeoning of academic work that takes seriously the place of seas and oceans in understanding socio-cultural and political life, past and present. Yet, there is a significant gap concerning the ways in which we engage with seas and oceans, with a will to enliven action and evoke change. This book explores these challenges, offering insights from spatial planning, architectural design, geography, educational studies, anthropology and cultural studies. An examination through these lenses can help us to better understand human relationships with the seas and oceans, and promote an ethic of care for the future.
Environmental stress caused by water continuously exposes buildings to microbial colonization. This is highly evident when both minor dampness and mass flooding occur. The text describes how microbiological corrosion of buildings and the structures and substances derived from these hazards are responsible for adverse health effects on people exposed to these contaminated environments. Microbiological Corrosion of Buildings: A Guide to Detection, Health Hazards, and Mitigation describes the key elements and methods for neutralising and removing microbiological contamination, and the operating algorithm for checking the effectiveness of preventative solutions. Ideal for construction engineers, microbiologists and professionals in the field. Features: Latest methods for detection of indoor microbial hazards Identifies the tools needed for natural, non-destructive and non-invasive methods of bio-corrosion removal Describes the social and health problems associated with exposure to microbiological hazards Provides case studies and examples of microorganisms responsible for microbial corrosion. 'Climate change and the associated adverse effects, such as floods and whirlwinds, make the problem of microbiological corrosion of buildings that generates health risks and economic losses on a global scale, the focus of science and technology. The monograph presents a complex problem of building bio-corrosion, that requires knowledge of the distant fields of microbiology and building technology, for the use of both scientists and practitioners. This pioneering work of an interdisciplinary nature harmoniously combines knowledge on specific microbiological issues relating to the process of bio-corrosion and the associated health risks with detailed issues of construction technology concerning the prevention of bio-corrosion and its removal. The authors succeeded in combining a very high scientific level in the monograph with an accessible and understandable presentation of complex problems. The extensive references, ranging from "classical" items from many years ago to the most recent articles presenting the state of the art in this field, are worth emphasising.' -Prof. Jacek Dutkiewicz, Ph.D., D.Sc., Institute of Rural Health in Lublin
This book undertakes a scholarly assessment of the state of the art of law and policy perspectives on groundwater and climate change at the international, regional and national levels. A particular focus is given to India, which is the largest user of groundwater in the world, and where groundwater is the primary source of water for domestic and agricultural uses. The extremely rapid rise in groundwater use in many Indian states has led to a growing groundwater crisis that they must address. The existing regulatory framework has not adapted to the challenges and fails to address any environmental concerns. On climate change, India has adopted a policy framework that makes the link with water, but no legislation has followed up to make the link operational. The subject matter of this book has been widely debated with regard to each of its main two components separately. Bringing these two domains together is what makes this book unique. The link between climate change and groundwater has been acknowledged to some extent, and there is growing interest in studying the impacts of climate change on (ground)water. Similarly, in water and environmental law and policy, increasing attention has been given to the study of climate change and groundwater legal and policy frameworks but generally separately. This book contributes to filling this knowledge gap by drawing on contributions from leading experts in the field of environmental and water law and policy who have been involved in climate change and/or groundwater research. The chapters in this book were originally published in a special issue of Water International.
Mathematical models are the effective tool to solve different tasks predicting pollutant movement. The finite difference method is the oldest, but still remains widely used in hydrogeological practice. However, this method is not very useful to construct the new transport models because it cannot approximate the shape of remediation elements exactly. Therefore the book is concerned with the FEM (Finite Element Method) and BEM (Boundary Element Method), and also with the comparison of advantages of these methods in groundwater hydrology. The combination of the BEM and the random-walk particle tracking method, which seems to be a very useful tool to model the spread of pollution in groundwater, are also presented. The computer programmes have been developed on the basis of the theoretical backgrounds of these methods. They use the Visual C++ programming language for Windows 95/NT platform and will be included in the book.
Introduction to Urban Water Distribution comprises the core training material used in the Master of Science programme in Urban Water and Sanitation at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. Participants in this programme are professionals working in the water and sanitation sector from over forty, predominantly developing, countries from all parts of the world. Outside this diverse audience, the most appropriate readers are those who know little or nothing about the subject. However, experts dealing with advanced problems can also use it as a refresher of their knowledge, as well as the teachers in this field may like to use some of the contents in their educational programmes. The general focus in the book is on understanding the steady-state hydraulics that forms the basis of hydraulic design and computer modelling applied in water distribution. The main purpose of the workshop problems and three computer exercises is to develop a temporal and spatial perception of the main hydraulic parameters in the system for given layout and demand scenarios. Furthermore, the book contains a detailed discussion on water demand, which is a fundamental element of any network analysis, and general principles of network construction, operation and maintenance. The book includes nearly 700 illustrations and the accompanying electronic materials contain all the spreadsheet applications and the network model files used in solving the workshop problems and computer exercises.
It presents a new approach to set fish quota based on holistic ecosystem modeling (the CoastWeb-model) and also a plan to optimize a sustainable management of the Baltic Sea including a cost-benefit analysis. This plan accounts for the production of prey and predatory fish under different environmental conditions, professional fishing, recreational fishing and fish cage farm production plus an analysis of associated economic values. Several scenarios and remedial strategies for Baltic Sea management are discussed and an "optimal" strategy motivated and presented, which challenges the HELCOM strategy that was accepted by the Baltic States in November 2007. The strategy advocated in this book would create more than 7000 new jobs, the total value of the fish production would be about 1600 million euro per year plus 1000 million euro per year related to the willingness-to-pay to combat the present conditions in the Baltic Sea. Our strategy would cost about 370 million euro whereas the HELCOM strategy would cost about 3100 million euro per year. The "optimal" strategy is based on a defined goal - that the water clarity in the Gulf of Finland should return to what it was 100 years ago.
Nature-based solutions (NbS) are solutions inspired or supported by nature. They include ecosystem conservation and restoration measures, as well as the creation or enhancement of natural processes in man-made ecosystems, such as cities. Recent interest in NbS has emphasized their importance for urban water management and cities across the world have begun to experiment with them. Experiences from different contexts, however, are not adequately captured and understood. This book aims to address this gap by compiling case studies and reviews that explore NbS for urban water management from different regions and perspectives and highlight emerging challenges and opportunities for harnessing their potential.
This volume provides readers with an opportunity to learn from front line water managers of watershed-based agencies across Canada about integrated water management (or integrated water resource management). In common with practice in much of the world, the responsibility for implementing integrated watershed management in Canada is fragmented. Each province and territory in Canada has developed unique approaches or governance models to guide decision making in that regard. Thus, this edited volume enables readers from around the world to gain insight on the best practices in Canada for achieving success and addressing barriers to implement IWM. Although there remains non consensus about how to "best" approach river basin management, some of the main observations include: There is a need to balance a focus on "the big picture", with scoping the scale and scope of planning activities in order that feasible and effective solutions can be implemented Three types of integration are popular among the agencies included in the book: (i) among environment, economy and society, (ii) interactions between people and the environment and (iii) integration (or coordination) of administrative activities. Much more attention is required to achieving effective engagement from Indigenous communities The chapters were originally published in a special issue of the International Journal of Water Resources Development.
The contingent valuation of water is one of the key components when wanting to implement proposals for integrated water management in mountain basins. Management of Hydrological Systems (MHS), is one of the great challenges that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) currently demand. Mainly in mountain basins with fragile ecosystems that face strong pressures such as poverty, urban and population growth, low water supply and sanitation, and climate change. Management of Hydrological Systems aims for sustainable water management, through contingent water valuation, showing the reader in a didactic way the procedure to follow in mountain basins. This book offers a complete characterization of the main problems affecting this type of basin, as well as the detailed procedure of the contingent valuation of water, which directly involves users. As such, this work is offered in relation to this urgent need for practical guidance demanded by society (SDGs), and is based on practical and real examples, rather than theoretical constructions, from places where these issues have not been widely addressed. The text is recommended as a way forward, not only for water resource managers and decision- and policymakers but also for students and teachers who wish to implement this MHS guide.
This book, first published in 1984, has both a geomorphic and a hydrologic message. It examines and analyses the role of groundwater in landscapes in a series of articles by authors of diverse backgrounds and experience.
The contingent valuation of water is one of the key components when wanting to implement proposals for integrated water management in mountain basins. Management of Hydrological Systems (MHS), is one of the great challenges that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) currently demand. Mainly in mountain basins with fragile ecosystems that face strong pressures such as poverty, urban and population growth, low water supply and sanitation, and climate change. Management of Hydrological Systems aims for sustainable water management, through contingent water valuation, showing the reader in a didactic way the procedure to follow in mountain basins. This book offers a complete characterization of the main problems affecting this type of basin, as well as the detailed procedure of the contingent valuation of water, which directly involves users. As such, this work is offered in relation to this urgent need for practical guidance demanded by society (SDGs), and is based on practical and real examples, rather than theoretical constructions, from places where these issues have not been widely addressed. The text is recommended as a way forward, not only for water resource managers and decision- and policymakers but also for students and teachers who wish to implement this MHS guide.
In 2017 four rivers in Aotearoa New Zealand, India, and Colombia were given the status of legal persons, and there was a recent attempt to extend these rights to the Colorado River in the USA. Understanding the implications of creating legal rights for rivers is an urgent challenge for both water resource management and environmental law. Giving rivers legal rights means the law can see rivers as legal persons, thus creating new legal rights which can then be enforced. When rivers are legally people, does that encourage collaboration and partnership between humans and rivers, or establish rivers as another competitor for scarce resources? To assess what it means to give rivers legal rights and legal personality, this book examines the form and function of environmental water managers (EWMs). These organisations have legal personality, and have been active in water resource management for over two decades. EWMs operate by acquiring water rights from irrigators in rivers where there is insufficient water to maintain ecological health. EWMs can compete with farmers for access to water, but they can also strengthen collaboration between traditionally divergent users of the aquatic environment, such as environmentalists, recreational fishers, hunters, farmers, and hydropower. This book explores how EWMs use the opportunities created by giving nature legal rights, such as the ability to participate in markets, enter contracts, hold property, and enforce those rights in court. However, examination of the EWMs unearths a crucial and unexpected paradox: giving legal rights to nature may increase its legal power, but in doing so it can weaken community support for protecting the environment in the first place. The book develops a new conceptual framework to identify the multiple constructions of the environment in law, and how these constructions can interact to generate these unexpected outcomes. It explores EWMs in the USA and Australia as examples, and assesses the implications of creating legal rights for rivers for water governance. Lessons from the EWMs, as well as early lessons from the new 'river persons,' show how to use the law to improve river protection and how to begin to mitigate the problems of the paradox.
Environmental Sustainability Using Green Technologies explains the role of green engineering and social responsibility in the development of chemicals, processes, products, and systems. Examining the relationship between economy, ecology, and equality-key factors in developing a sustainable society-this book covers several aspects of environmental sustainability, explores ways to use resources and processes more responsibly, and describes the tools required to overcome various challenges. It outlines the biotechnological applications, techniques, and processes needed to secure sustainable development and ensure long-lasting future success. Insightful and highly comprehensive, this body of work addresses: Wastewater treatment technologies Nanomaterials in environmental applications Green synthesis of ecofriendly nanoparticles The role of phytoremediation in maintaining environmental sustainability Algal biosorption of heavy metals Mass production of microalgae for industrial applications Integrated biological system for the treatment of sulfate rich wastewater Anaerobic digestion of pharmaceutical effluent Treatment of textile dye using bioaccumulation techniques Production of biosurfactants and their applications in bioremediation Biodegradable polymers Microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology Biodiesel from nonedible oil using a packed bed membrane reactor Production of ecofriendly biodiesel from marine sources Pretreatment techniques for the enhancement of biogas production A review of source apportionment of air pollutants by receptor models and more Environmental Sustainability Using Green Technologies provides excellent reference material that aids and supports sustainability, and offers practical guidance for professors, research scholars, industrialists, biotechnologists, and workers in the applied field of environmental engineering.
Climate change is expected to modify the hydrological cycle and affect freshwater resources. Groundwater is a critical source of fresh drinking water for almost half of the world's population and it also supplies irrigated agriculture. Groundwater is also important in sustaining streams, lakes, wetlands, and associated ecosystems. But despite this, knowledge about the impact of climate change on groundwater quantity and quality is limited. Direct impacts of climate change on natural processes (groundwater recharge, discharge, storage, saltwater intrusion, biogeochemical reactions, chemical fate and transport) may be exacerbated by human activities (indirect impacts). Increased groundwater abstraction, for example, may be needed in areas with unsustainable or contaminated surface water resources caused by droughts and floods. Climate change effects on groundwater resources are, therefore, closely linked to other global change drivers, including population growth, urbanization and land-use change, coupled with other socio-economic and political trends. Groundwater response to global changes is a complex function that depends on climate change and variability, topography, aquifer characteristics, vegetation dynamics, and human activities. This volume contains case studies from diverse aquifer systems, scientific methods, and climatic settings that have been conducted globally under the framework of the UNESCO-IHP project Groundwater Resources Assessment under the Pressures of Humanity and Climate Change (GRAPHIC). This book presents a current and global synthesis of scientific findings and policy recommendations for scientists, water managers and policy makers towards adaptive management of groundwater sustainability under future climate change and variability.
Coastal Lagoons: Ecosystem Processes and Modeling for Sustainable Use and Development describes the concepts, models, and data needed to design and implement management programs for long-term sustainability of coastal lagoons. Based on a project conducted under the auspices of NATO-CCMS, the book provides information and methodologies essential for selecting the most appropriate solution for a targeted lagoon environment, highlights issues that must be taken into account for optimal evaluation, and illustrates what short- and long-term changes that can be expected from the application of models presented. This book is a valuable tool for managers designing a sound, ecosystem oriented, model-based sustainable development solution.
Advanced mathematics used in engineering is studied here in this text which examines the relationship between the principles in natural processes and those employed in engineered processes. The text covers principles, practices and the mathematics involved in the design and operation of environmental engineering works. It also presents engineering modelling tools and environmental algorithm examples. Major subjects covered in this book include:* modelling * algorithms * air and water pollution assessment and control calculations Providing concepts, definitions, descriptions, and derivations in an intuitive manner, it is both a textbook and reference tool for practitioners involved in the protection of air, water, and land resources.
The development of biofilms and their role in public health - particularly drinking water - is often overlooked. Ideal for anyone interested in water related issues, Microbiological Aspects of Biofilms and Drinking Water presents an overview of the public health effects associated with drinking water. It highlights the microbiological aspects relating to the development of biofilms. The first four chapters focus on the state of the water supply. The authors review methods for studying the epidemiological spread of waterborne infections and those used in surveillance and control of pathogenic microbes. He includes the methods used for the detection of pathogens of public health importance in drinking water. In the subsequent chapters the authors pay close attention to biofilm development within drinking water systems, underlining the public health threat. They cover the microbes important to public health and include the methods used to detect biofilms. In conclusion they review the methods involved in biofilm control - both conventional and biocidal treatments. Overall, Microbiological Aspects of Biofilms and Drinking Water provides a snapshot of public health and the water supply. It covers the future of drinking water and its associated health hazards and provides a deeper understanding of biofilms and how they provide a safe haven for pathogens and water related diseases.
This book examines engineering and mathematical models for documenting and approving mechanical and environmental discharges. The author emphasizes engineering design considerations as well as applications to waste water and atmospheric discharges. Chapters discuss: the fundamentals of turbulent jet mixing, dilution concepts, and mixing zone concepts diffuser configurations and head loss calculations different modeling techniques and accepted models - discussed in detail with theoretical background, restrictions, input, output, and examples Lagrangian and the EPA UM 2-dimensional diffuser model the PLUMES interface Eulerian integral methods, EPA UDKHG 3-dimensional diffuser model, and PDSG surface discharge model empirical techniques, RSB diffuser model, the CORMIX family of models for both diffusers and surface discharge numerical methods with a discussion of shelf commercial models Gaussian atmospheric plume models Fundamentals of Environmental Discharge Modeling includes numerous case studies and examples for each model and problem.
Optical Properties and Remote Sensing of Inland and Coastal Waters discusses the methodology and the theoretical basis of remote sensing of water. It presents physical concepts of aquatic optics relevant to remote sensing techniques and outlines the problems of remote measurements of the concentrations of organic and inorganic matter in water. It also details the mathematical formulation of the processes governing water-radiation interactions and discusses the development of bio-optical models to incorporate optically complex bodies of water into remote sensing projects. Optical Properties and Remote Sensing of Inland and Coastal Waters derives and evaluates the interrelationships among inherent optical properties of natural water, water color, water quality, primary production, volume reflectance spectra, and remote sensing. This timely and comprehensive text/reference addresses the increasing tendency toward multinational and multidisciplinary climate studies and programs. |
You may like...
Roadmap to Successful Digital Health…
Evelyn Hovenga, Heather Grain
Paperback
R3,015
Discovery Miles 30 150
|