Global change possesses serious challenges for water managers
and scientists. In mountain areas, where water supplies for half of
the world population originate, climate and hydrologic models are
still subject to considerable uncertainty. And yet, critical
decisions have to be taken to ensure adequate and safe water
supplies to billions of people, millions of farmers and industries,
without further deteriorating rivers and water bodies. While global
warming is known to cause glaciers' retreat and reduced snow packs
around the world, it is not clear that mountain discharge will be
lower. What is widely recognised is that water management must be
adapted to accommodate significant regime changes. However, this
inevitably involves managing transboundary rivers, adding further
complexity to putting principles in practice.
This book takes global warming and the importance of mountain
areas in world water resources as the starting point. First, it
provides detailed reviews of the processes going on in several
rivers systems and world regions in Europe (Rhone and Ebro), North
America (Canadian Rockies, Western US and Mexico), the Middle East
(Jordan), Africa (Tunisia, Kenya and South Africa). These contexts
provide case studies and examples that show the difficulties and
potential for adaptation to global change. Land-use, economics,
numerous modeling approaches are some of the cross-cutting issues
covered in the chapters. The volume also includes the views of
water practitioners, with two chapters authored by members of the
US-Canada International Joint Commission, an industrialist from
Western Canada and an environmental leader in Spain.
By combining a rich set of contexts and approaches, the volume
succeeds in offering a view of the global challenges faced by water
agencies, international donors and researchers around the world. A
case is made in some chapters to seek adaptive strategies rather
than trying to reduce or control resources variability. This
requires factoring in land-use, social and economic aspects,
especially in developing countries. Another conclusion is that
complex problems can and must be posed and negotiated with the help
of models, mapping techniques and science-based facts. However
complex these may be, there are ways to translate them to easily
interpretable and visualisations of alternative scenarios and
courses of action. This book provides numerous examples of the
potential of such approaches to draft environmental programmes
solve transboundary disputes and reduce the economic consequences
of droughts and climate instability.
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