Tensions in parts of the Danube River Basin, the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and elsewhere demonstrate the need for international agreements which will help stabilize and improve economies, governments, and environmental management within the countries in transition and across national borders. An instrument of peace, a Convention which establishes a Commission to oversee natural resource protection among all basin countries, is about to be adopted and implemented. This book covers in detail the readiness of the countries to participate and the programs funded by international agencies, and suggests ways to stimulate the slow and uneven government and investor response to conflicts. It reviews the approach and successes and failures of current programs funded by the European Commission, the Global Environment Facility, and US AID, and suggests ways to improve such assistance for maximum effect within the countries themselves. The book has equal value to two sets of audiences: specialists in many disciplines, scientists and technicians, and their colleagues in public and private sector policy-making who deal full-time with transboundary natural resource problems at a practical level in the Danube region or in regions elsewhere; those concerned about the future economic and political stability of the east European and CIS countries and their ability to meet EU environmental and other criteria, including investors in public and private projects.

This title, first published in 1987, provides an authoritative account of both the science and the politics of acid rain. Chris Park places the debates surrounding acid rain in context, and examines the full implications of scientific studies and the effects of acid rain on surface waters, soils and buildings. Evidence is drawn from around the world, including an examination of the damage in Scandinavia and Germany and the effects of acid rain in the U.K. and U.S.A. A comprehensive and relevant work, this is an important guide for students of geography, environment and sustainability and energy policy.

The oceans provide a truly millennial challenge for both the development and management of planet earth by humankind. Awareness of the nature and scale of this challenge, the opportunities and the limitations, has been developing over the past three decades. In particular, new approaches to the development of the law of the sea, the division of the oceans among states, and new thinking on institutions will be needed in the transition to the new millennium. Understanding of the newness of the challenges has to be underpinned by understanding of the uses of the sea in terms of major sectors, and recognition of the importance of the many regional worlds of perception, understanding and action which link the diverse ocean environment to the diversity of human culture. This book covers all these themes in depth. It is aimed at both academics and students in higher education, and practitioners in the rapidly growing fields of ocean and coastal management in the public, private, and voluntary sectors.

On April 1, 1946, shortly after sunrise, the town of Hilo on the island of Hawai'i was devastated by a series of giant waves. Traveling 2,300 miles from the Aleutian Islands in less than five hours, the waves struck without warning and claimed 159 lives. Fourteen years later, on May 22, 1960, a massive earthquake occurred off of the coast of Chile. The earthquake generated giant waves that sped across the Pacific at 442 miles per hour, reaching Hilo in just fifteen hours. The first wave to hit the town was a modest four feet higher than normal, the second nine feet. Before the third wave could arrive, a tidal phenomenon known as a bore smashed into the Hilo bayfront, with thirty-five foot waves that wrenched buildings off their foundations. That day several city blocks were swept clean of all structures and 61 people died. The first edition of Tsunami!, published in 1988, provided readers with a complete examination of the tsunami phenomenon in Hawai'i. This second edition adds many eyewitness accounts of the tsunamis of 1946 and 1960 and expands its coverage to include major tsunamis in the Mediterranean and off the coasts of Japan, Chile, Indonesia, Fiji, Alaska, California, Newfoundland, and the Caribbean, as well as the 1998 devastation in Papua New Guinea. Dramatic photographs and accounts of experiencing a tsunami firsthand are placed within the framework of the how and why of tsunamis, our scientific understanding of these phenomena, and the current status of the Tsunami Warning System, which is widely used to forecast and measure tsunamis and prepare coastal areas for potentially deadly tsunami strikes.

Two basic tools for integrated management of the environment are modeling and environmental data. Both tools were available and valid in the past; however, the recent requirements for integrated environmental management have also led to a significant evolution of both modeling procedures and data management systems. Regarding these advances, current literature provides vast amounts of studies on modeling of different environmental processes. However, issues related to data management systems are barely touched on in a comprehensive framework. Data requirements and data availability are mentioned merely as subtopics in most environmental studies, although it is well recognized that data constitute the basis for all environmental management activities. In particular, there is no book yet published that focuses exclusively on data management systems. In this respect, the present book fills an important gap by providing a systematic approach to various aspects of environmental data management. The contents of the book follow the basic steps that constitute an environmental data management system. These steps cover in sequence: collection of environmental data for assessing air quality, surface water quality and solid waste management; reliability considerations in data collection; storage, handling and retrieval of available data; transfer of data into information via data analysis and environmental modeling; and finally the use of available data in decision-making for environmental management. This volume will be useful to faculty members, researchers, professional engineers, planners and managers, and graduate students, who are involved in environmental management, data collection anddissemination, and information retrieval. It will also be of interest to research and data centres, international programmes and organizations related to environmental management.

This book presents recent lessons learned in the context of research and development for various dryland ecosystems, focusing on water resources management, land and vegetation cover degradation and remediation, and socioeconomic aspects, as well as integrated approaches to ensuring water and land security in view of the current and predicted climate change. As water and land are the essential bases of food production, the management of these natural resources is becoming a cornerstone for the development of dryland populations. The book gathers the peer-reviewed, revised versions of the most outstanding papers on these topics presented at the ILDAC2015 Conference in Djerba, Tunisia.

The biennial conferences of the Society for Underwater Technology have achieved an excellent reputation for the quality of their presentations, which cover topics of the most acute current interest, as well as those at the forefront of review and development. The 1994 conference on Subsea Control and Data Acquisition formed no exception, since it covers subjects at the cutting edge of modern technology. It is a matter of increasing concern that products are becoming overspecified, resulting in excessive costs and longer development schedules, while not conferring an equivalent benefit in reliability of the finished product. Subsea Control and Data Acquisition is vital reading for all subsea control system designers, manufacturers and operators, equipment consultants, application engineers, academics in the subsea engineering field, and all subsea engineers.

On decadal time scales, climate change may result not only from man-made causes, but also from natural processes. This book brings together theoretical conceptions of the physical mechanisms of climate change with observational evidence of these changes. The following key topics are included: Observed Climatic Variability, Predictability of the Atmosphere and Oceans from Days to Decades, and Mechanisms for Decadal to Centennial Climate Variability. Further, there are specialised contributions on the role of the oceanic circulation in climate change. The authors are renowned for their pedagogical skills, and the book is primarily designed for beginners in the field, who have a background in physical science. In addition, it is an invaluable source of information for scientists seeking an overview on climate dynamics.

In the framework of the Diderot Mathematical Forum (DMF) of the European Mathematical Society (EMS), December 19-20, 1997, a Videoconference was held linking three teams of specialists in Amsterdam, Madrid and Venice respectively. The general subject of this videoconference, the second one of the DMF series, was Mathematics and Environment and more specifically, Problems related to Water.

This volume contains the texts of the Madrid site contributions with important, new and unpublished, examples on the modeling, mathematical and numerical analysis and treatment of the associated control problems of relevant questions arising in Oceanography and Environment.

Floods constitute a persistent and serious problem throughout the United States and many other parts of the world. They are respon sible for losses amounting to billions of dollars and scores of deaths annually. Virtually all parts of the nation--coastal, mountainous and rural--are affected by them. Two aspects of the problem of flooding that have long been topics of scientific inquiry are flood frequency and risk analyses. Many new, even improved, techniques have recently been developed for performing these analyses. Nevertheless, actual experience points out that the frequency of say a 100-year flood, in lieu of being encountered on the average once in one hundred years, may be as little as once in 25 years. It is therefore appropriate to pause and ask where we are, where we are going and where we ought to be going with regard to the technology of flood frequency and risk analyses. One way to address these questions is to provide a forum where people from all quarters of the world can assemble, discuss and share their experience and expertise pertaining to flood frequency and risk analyses. This is what constituted the motivation for organizing the International Symposium on Flood Frequency and Risk Analyses held May 14-17, 1986, at Louisiana State University, Bat-on Rouge, Louisiana."

Among the deep-sea marine invertebrates, pycnogonids and crustaceans represent ecologically important and most diverse groups of species. Yet both are still poorly understood. Sampling and exploring operations off the west and east coast of the Americas has significantly increased in the last two decades. However such operations are very costly and limited in number and frequency. In countries like Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, the United States of America, and El Salvador a large effort has been made to explore the deep-sea resources and the rich diversity of the communities, resulting in a better understanding of the natural ecosystems on both coasts of America. Pycnogonids and many groups of deep-sea crustaceans have been intensively studied, from the smallest animals, like the mostly unknown benthic copepods to the largest decapods. This book presents new and updated information on various groups of deep-sea pycnogonids and crustaceans occurring off the American continent. Offering a valuable reference resource for scientists interested in this fascinating fauna, it includes review papers and new data on the deep-sea communities occurring off the USA, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Brazil and Argentina, as well as in larger areas in both the East Pacific and the West Atlantic. As such it covers most of the current deep-water research in Latin America.

Adds three new chapters (constructed wetlands, stream sediments, and rice production systems) and is updated throughout Examines the adaptation of wetland plants to varying anaerobic soil conditions Provides the basic concepts involved in biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and contaminants in wetlands as related to environmental significance and ecological functions Examines the role of microbial processes in sulfate reduction, denitrification, and methane production Provides case studies for key biogeochemical processes governing wetland function in freshwater wetlands

Lake Titicaca, because of its area and volume and its situation at high attitude within the tropics, is a unique hydrological site in the world. It should be noted that it stands at the transition point between two very distinct geographical regions: the desert fringe of the Pacific coast to the west and the great Amazonian forest extending to the Atlantic coast to the east. Many scientists have been attracted to the lake in the past because of its unusual limnological features. In this book the editors have compiled an exhaustive review of current knowledge from the existing literature and from the results of more recent observations. It is certain that this book will become the essential reference work for scientists wanting to make progress in revealing the lake's secrets. It can be stated unequivocally that this work constitutes a complete review of the present state of knowledge on Lake Titicaca and that it provides the latest results of research on this habitat.

The first single-volume reference of its kind, this comprehensive handbook provides background information and analysis on the full range of contemporary ocean use issues. Coverage includes the development of ocean law, the evolving uses of oceans, data on living and non-living ocean resources, the environmental impact of pollution, and competing national claims over ocean exploration. The volume also summarizes the most current research available on the uses of oceans, incorporates the salient portions of the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention in the topical surveys and analyses presented, and discusses all of the other major international conventions that have dealt with global ocean or marine affairs. Students, researchers, and agency staff concerned with the political and legal dimensions of ocean use will find this an indispensable source.

The handbook begins with an overview of the world's oceans and their physical and geographic features. The next two chapters survey the international conferences that have been held on ocean use and explore the historical development of international principles on the law of the sea. Ocean resources and their economic and political management form the focus of the following four chapters, with separate chapters on living and non-living resources and deep seabed mining. The final chapters address ocean environmental protection and pollution prevention and the implications of various uses of the ocean: military, navigation and transport, and marine scientific research. The text is accompanied by numerous charts and tables, end-of-chapter references, and seven appendixes which contain valuable supplemental information such as a chronological list of conventions and treaties on the law of the sea, national legislation on exclusive economic zones, bilateral fishery agreements, and more.

Flood risk management policy across the European Union is changing, partly in response to the EU Floods Directive and partly because of new scientific approaches and research findings. It involves a move towards comprehensive flood risk management, which requires bringing the following fields/domains closer together: the natural sciences, social sciences and arts; science, policy and practice; and engineering, spatial planning and governance. Naturally, this involves preventive fl ood risk management and flood event management, as well as learning from the past and considering future global change. Comprehensive Flood Risk Management includes about 200 contributions drawn from the 2nd European Conference on Flood Risk Management FLOODrisk2012 (Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 19-23 November 2012). This conference provided a forum for scientists, policy makers, researchers, and practitioners to discuss the practical implications of the latest research findings and to inventory which questions the research community still needs to answer. FLOODrisk2012, the successor of the 2008 conference held in Oxford, UK, was the initiative of Deltares, Delft, the Netherlands. Comprehensive Flood Risk Management includes the latest results of numerous projects issuing from the European Commission's Sixth and Seventh Framework Programmes, as well as results of many other national and international research projects from Europe and elsewhere in the world. The book features contributions from natural and social sciences, engineering and spatial planning, as well as practical experiences of policy makers and designers, and covers all aspects of fl ood risk assessment and management: hydraulic loads, reliability of defences and their monitoring, flood hazard analysis, inundation modelling, hazard and risk mapping, estimating economic damage and loss-of-life and integrated flood risk analysis, as well as flood protection, damage and exposure reduction, reducing social vulnerability, policy instruments (zoning, regulations), integrated flood risk management planning and long-term planning for global change, flood prediction and early warning, evacuation and rescue and other aspects of flood event management. Finally, the book discusses risk communication, participatory planning, governance issues, and experiences with the EU Floods Directive. Comprehensive Flood Risk Management will be of interest to a readership ranging from scientists to practitioners involved in fl ood risk management, and consisting of researchers, consultants, engineers, spatial planners, postgraduate lecturers, students, civil servants, and policy makers.

In 1997 disastrous flooding running through the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany took the lives of a great number of people and caused economic damage estimated in tens of billions of dollars. Flooding of the Yangtze river in 1998 killed more than 3000 people, dislocated 230 million souls, and caused direct damage of more than $ 45 billion. Both the general public and the experts are asking what we can learn from these recent events to reduce loss of life and flood damage. The 1997 floods were dealt with by experts from the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany, who presented timely reports on combatting floods, both success stories and shortcomings. This experience is further extended by reports from experts drawn from 13 other countries, developing a broad overview of flood risk management, covering the ecosystem approach to flood management, including socioeconomic issues, flood impacts on water quality, human health, and natural ecosystems.

This book reviews the current state of knowledge on, recent advances in, and future prospects of Montenegrin river basins in the context of anthropogenic activities. Edited by three respected experts in the field, the book begins with an introduction to the specific hydrogeological conditions in Montenegro and critical reflections on the impact of hydropower projects. It then reviews the vulnerability of river ecosystems, exploring potential genotoxic effects and water quality, and explaining typology and monitoring of these aspects, and particularly highlighting mollusk assemblages and monitoring of intermittent rivers. The closing chapters focus on the impact of river flooding and discuss controversial projects aiming to find an approach mutually acceptable to all stakeholders. Given its scope, the book is an indispensable resource for scientists in academia and the water industry, as well as for decision-makers in the field investigating the interactions between land and water, limnology and biota, and natural and cultural resources.

The waters of the Indo-Pacific were at the centre of the global expansion of marine capture fisheries in the twentieth century, yet surprisingly little has been written about this subject from a historical perspective. This book, the first major study of the history of fishing in Asia and Oceania, presents the case-studies completed through the History of Marine Animal Populations (HMAP) initiative. It examines the marine environmental history and historical marine ecology of the Indo-Pacific during a period that witnessed the dramatic escalation of industrial fishing in these seas.

- draws on the expertise of marine researchers from across the natural and social sciences - examines how the tools of transdisciplinarity can be used to return us to a sustainable co-existence with the ocean - draws on case studies from the nexus of the research and practices of engagement with a variety of stakeholder groups around the globe - will be of great interest to students and scholars studying marine science and ocean research across the natural and social sciences - will also be of interest to those looking to build a greater understanding of transdisciplinary research and knowledge co-production

This book offers a meaningful and practicable guide to better management of arsenic problems in the groundwater of the Gangetic Plain. It gathers contributions from distinguished researchers who have been actively working in the area for over a decade. The arsenic contamination of groundwater is a growing concern in the central Gangetic Plain, where the local population's main sources of fresh water are surface water, groundwater and rain water; of these sources, only the last two generally meet the most important criteria for drinking water in their natural state. Natural geological changes are presumed to be the primary reason for arsenic contamination in this region. Further, most of the people living in this area have developed the habit of drinking water (groundwater) from the arsenic-contaminated tubewells in many parts of the region. As a result, many are suffering from arsenicosis and many more are at risk. Since the cause of arsenic contamination in groundwater still remains unclear, this book seeks to address the arsenic issue in this region by pursuing a holistic and systematic scientific approach. Accordingly, it delineates various sources, processes, hypotheses and remedial approaches that are needed to manage the arsenic contamination in the Central Gangetic Plain.

Volume 1: (edited by Keith W. Hipel) In this landmark collection of papers, highly respected scientists and engineers from around the world present the latest research results in extreme value analyses for floods and droughts. Two approaches that are commonly employed in flood frequency analyses are the maximum annual flood and partial duration series or peak over threshold procedures. Recent theoretical advances as well as illustrative applications are described in detail for each of these approaches. Additionally, droughts and storms are systematically studied using appropriate probabilistic models. A major part of the volume is devoted to frequency analyses and fitting extreme value distributions to hydrological data. Other thought-provoking topics include regionalization techniques, distributed models, entropy and fractal analysis. Volume 1 is of interest to researchers, teachers, students and practitioners who wish to place themselves at the leading edge of flood frequency and drought analyses. Volume 2: (edited by Keith W. Hipel) World renowned scientists present valuable contributions to stochastic and statistical modelling of groundwater and surface water systems. The philosophy of probabilistic modelling in the hydrological sciences is put into proper perspective and the importance of stochastic differential equations in the environmental sciences is explained and illustrated. The new research ideas put forward in groundwater modelling will assist decision makers in tackling challenging problems such as controlling pollution of underground aquifers and obtaining adequate water supplies. Additionally, different types of stochastic models are used in modelling a range ofinteresting surface water problems. Other topics covered in this landmark volume include stochastic optimization, moment analysis, carbon dioxide modelling and rainfall prediction. Volume 2 is of interest to researchers, teachers, students and practitioners who wish to be at the leading edge of stochastic and statistical modelling in the environmental sciences. Volume 3: (edited by Keith W. Hipel; A. Ian McLeod; U.S. Panu; Vijay P. Singh) International experts from around the globe present a rich variety of intriguing developments in time series analysis in hydrology and environmental engineering. Climatic change is of great concern to everyone and significant contributions to this challenging research topic are put forward by internationally renowned authors. A range of interesting applications in hydrological forecasting are given for case studies in reservoir operation in North America, Asia and South America. Additionally, progress in entropy research is described and entropy concepts are applied to various water resource systems problems. Neural networks are employed for forecasting runoff and water demand. Moreover, graphical, nonparametric and parametric trend analyses methods are compared and applied to water quality time series. Other topics covered in this landmark volume include spatial analyses, spectral analyses and different methods for stream-flow modelling. Volume 3 constitutes an invaluable resource for researchers, teachers, students and practitioners who wish to be at the forefront of time series analysis in the environmental sciences. Volume 4: (edited by Keith W. Hipel; Liping Fang) In this landmark set of papers, experts from around the world present the latest andmost promising approaches to both the theory and practice of effective environmental management. To achieve sustainable development, organizations and individual citizens must comply with environmental laws and regulations. Accordingly, a major contribution of this book is the presentation of original techniques for designing effective environmental policies, regulations, inspection procedures and monitoring systems. Interesting methods for modelling risk and decision making problems are discussed from an environmental management perspective. Moreover, knowledge-based techniques for handling environmental problems are also investigated. Finally, the last main part of the book describes optimal approaches to reservoir operation and control that take into account appropriate multiple objectives. Volume 4 is of direct interest to researchers, teachers, students and practitioners concerned with the latest developments in environmental management and sustainable development.