Field Hydrology in Tropical Countries: A Practical Introduction

Abstract

Hydrology is not only a highly mathematical science but also, and mainly, a practical science of measurement of main elements needed to address questions such as water balance in a basin. It is also a matter of commitment for those involved in the everyday task of taking data from instruments and providing that data to national meteorological and hydrological services. It is a highly skillful science for those who aim to understand the water cycle and its contribution to sustainable development of the environment.Having served in a national meteorology and hydrology service in a tropical country, and having experienced the difficulties that observers go through in the field, far away from the central office, I find very familiar much of what Henry Gunston says in his book Field Hydrology in Tropical Countries: A Practical Introduction.The author himself has spent a great deal of time in the field and has a good understanding of the difficult situations that observers in tropical countries go through every day Field hydrology in many places, the tropics included, is a very difficult task because of both the lack of economic support and the lack of prepared people in the country to do the job. Most of the observers do their job because the enjoy it, hoping the next field team may bring them not only payment but also new logs to record the data and good news from the city.