From fragmentation to consolidation: An integrated approach for multidimensional analysis of water security in Langat River Basin, Malaysia

Proper management of scarce water resources has in recent years become necessary to maintain sustainable societies. This article discusses the management of water resources in Botswana. It highlights the amount of water resources available, relating it to the demand, and observes that the current trend of exploiting these resources will not be sustainable in the long run unless the major strategies suggested herein are adopted. It also looks at the administration of water and water resources in Botswana, focusing on the shared water resources. Government policies and strategies towards sustainable management of scarce water resources are also discussed. The author draws particular attention to the water tariff structure, noting that the prevailing water tariff system promotes sustainable management of water resources.

Managing water in an integrated and sustainable manner is currently challenging water resource managers throughout the world. It requires professionals from many disciplines working together with impacted stakeholders in crafting a strategy that is economically efficient, ecologically sound, and acceptable to all who are impacted by how this resource is managed over space and time. We at universities are continually thinking about how we can better prepare our students who elect to become our future water resources planners and managers. This paper identifies some of the issues and challenges facing educators in this field, and some possible ways of addressing them. The amount of water available and suitable for human use in the world is limited. Too many humans must live with less water than what they would like, and even need, to maintain their health let alone their overall welfare. Currently the world's water resource systems are not able to provide everyone reliable potable water at reasonable costs. Populations are increasing, as are per capita demands for water. The United Nations tells us about one person in six, on average, in this world has no access to safe drinking water, and about one in three lacks adequate sanitation. In many countries these percentages are substantially higher. One can assume that those without clean water to drink are sick. The World Health Organization (WHO) tells us more than 30 thousand children under the age of five die from either hunger or from water-borne and easily-preventable diseases. We use about 70 percent of our freshwater resources for agriculture. What we get for that varies considerably. The World Water Council believes that by 2020 we shall need 17 percent more water than is currently available if we are to feed everyone. Do all these grim statistics suggest a water crisis? Will there be a water crisis in the future? Much depends on how we manage our water and our watersheds (Rogers et al. 2006). And this in turn depends on our abilities at universities to provide the personnel with the training and capacity to manage this resource effectively. With perhaps a few exceptions, those of us who live in North America are not dying from lack of water or sanitation. We are fortunate. We seem to have enough water, although the recent droughts in the southeast and in the west suggests we may be increasingly challenged to meet our demands for water supplies, to keep our rivers flowing and clean and our aquatic ecosystems functioning as they should. We can manage all our natural resources better, and professionals know this, but deciding what is better and implementing measures to be better involves more than just professionals. Politicians representing the public, and increasingly the public itself, are participants in this decision-making process. They define what is “better” and when and how to act. And inevitably acting requires money. Acting in ways to prevent crises is not always easy to do. There are always more pressing matters that get people's attention – and their money – until of course there really is a water crisis. This has prompted the well-known concept called the hydro-illogical cycle illustrating the lack of interest in planning for floods during periods of drought, or in planning for droughts when experiencing a flood. Many of the issues facing water and environmental resource managers today generally stem from the following factors: changing priorities of water and environmental management objectives over time – for example from economic efficiency to ecological health and diversity that require changes in past policies and even infrastructure, the way our institutions work, the need for multiple disciplinary inputs and public participation, uncertainties regarding future demands, supplies, and pollutant types and loads, and a lack of adequate understanding of many natural and social processes affecting, and affected by, the management of water and environmental resources. Managers and planners are challenged to develop plans and policies for serving often conflicting multiple purposes and satisfying multiple objectives expressed by multiple stakeholders representing multiple interests and backgrounds, all lacking perfect knowledge of what economic, physical, chemical, biological, ecological and social impacts will result from what ever decisions they make. We all could benefit from better science, better management tools, better training of professionals in all the applicable disciplines, and political institutions that can provide the expertise and leadership that will result in more timely, integrated, and sustainable water resources and environmental management plans and policies. The remainder of this paper outlines some current issues related to the training of individuals who wish to accept the challenges just described and contribute to improving how we manage our water and environmental resources. Recent decades have witnessed a shift in emphasis by U.S. agencies providing funds for research and training of graduates interested in environmental and water resources management. The emphasis has been on addressing scientific uncertainties and less toward planning and management issues. This runs counter to those who claim there is a need for improved environmental and water resource management. One result of this shift away from research in planning and managerial issues has been the decline of academic programs in water management and planning. Ironically, weather- and climate-related research programs, as well as large-scale observation initiatives promoted by many in the hydrologic, ecological, environmental engineering and other communities, increasingly cite benefits for water resources, environmental, and ecological management as central to their programmatic justification. Having more scientific information and the understanding that comes from it does not automatically mean we know how best to use it. There are many scientific, technical, political, practical, and regulatory challenges to integrating advances in hydrologic science into policies for managing environmental and water resources. There may be an unrealized potential, for instance, for using improvements in hydrologic forecasting based on new data sources and methods, such as embedded environmental sensors and data assimilation techniques. As science teaches us more about the processes taking place at the interface of hydrology and climate, and as the hydrologic, water quality, and associated ecological implications of land cover change become better understood, ways are needed to incorporate this knowledge into management plans and policies. Research is needed to figure out how best to do that, and trained professional planners and managers are needed to make it happen. At various universities, debates are taking place over a variety of issues, some of which are listed below. Issue #1: Educational policy – should universities turn out more well-trained engineering professionals and scientists, or more broadly trained generalists? Many will argue that there is an overarching need for people who know there is a world beyond where they live and work and can appreciate how history and culture affects current events. There is a need for individuals who can evaluate, think, and speak and write effectively at technical and non-technical levels. In my opinion, such skills should be obtained at the undergraduate level. One way to get this background is to obtain a liberal arts education (including study in a foreign country). Expertise in specific technical disciplines can be obtained at the master's level. After all, medicine, law, and business are graduate subjects. Why not in this multidisciplinary water resource field as well? Obviously for those desiring engineering or the sciences some basic introductory courses would be expected at the undergraduate level, just as pre-med courses are expected for admission to most medical schools. This is not to say we cannot train students to become competent technical professionals with engineering, economic, ecological, or natural resource degrees, for example, at the undergraduate level, but doing that eliminates the time needed for students to obtain the other skills that all should have who expect to become tomorrow's leaders in whatever they do. Yet in much of the world, attending universities costs money, especially at private universities and colleges. This means we need fellowships and training grants to attract the best and brightest students we can to our water resources profession. Issue #2: Course curricula – do they need changing? Many universities need to take a serious look at their curricula more often than they do. It seems much easier to change course contents than the overall plan. Most educators support exposing students to interdisciplinary projects at both graduate and undergraduate levels, so that students learn to participate productively in such projects and recognize the approaches and issues of fields other than their own. Engineers, economists, and ecologists especially need to appreciate each other's approaches to problem solving. Being exposed to case studies, including failed projects and those that get students out in the field is also beneficial. This gives them an appreciation of multidisciplinary team-building and dealing with multiple conflicting goals such as drought mitigation, flood management, flash flood prediction, water supply, transportation, emergency management, agriculture, and ecosystem stewardship – and conflicting opinions about how to achieve them. Issue #3: Continuing education: How can it best be provided to all professionals? Some have suggested that whatever the technical information students learn, it will be obsolete by the time they get their first job. The rate of increase in knowledge and changes in technology seem to be increasing over time. The half-life of the technical information we teach our students is decreasing. On-the-job training and continuing education throughout one's professional career is an absolute necessity. How can universities best meet this need? Some governmental agencies concerned with environmental and water resources management have programs for continuing education. However, a high turnover rate often makes this uneconomic. Professors themselves need continuing education as well. Their research provides some of this, but they also can learn from their consulting and what they do on their sabbatical leaves. All professionals should be provided such opportunities, not just academics. Issue #4: Funding. Can the needed changes in education be accomplished in the absence of changes in funding “carrots and sticks”? Difficulties in supporting students studying water and environmental resources management have led to the relative lack of students studying these subjects. University deans look for where the money is when they analyze continuing and new directions for their academic departments. The availability of fellowships, traineeships, and research grants are noticed. Industry can also provide support, and in many disciplines they do, but in the water and environmental resources arena the private sector has not been a major player. Managing water and environmental resources is primarily a public responsibility. Nevertheless industry has provided some support, for example to the American Water Works Association Research Foundation which promotes research and technology transfer. Coop programs, internships, and traineeships that expose students to the real world may be a partial solution. The USDA-CSREES coop funding program is an example for agricultural water management. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers master's degree program in planning is another example. Employers working in the water management area often report difficulties in finding employees with the appropriate backgrounds. Because of the decrease in funding of research and training grants in the water planning and management area, few young graduate students are finding their way into the field. This leads to fewer students being trained in the areas of most interest to these employers. The report Freshwater Ecosystems: Revitalizing Educational Programs in Limnology (National Research Council 1996) included a chapter on linking education and water resource management. Water is viewed as a public good, and thus those who manage it are often associated with government agencies. At a recent meeting of the National Research Council (Logan 2006), several government agencies stated their need for articulate young people prepared for working in interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary teams, which is the nature of modern water management, viewing problems in a broad systems context – water management decisions made upstream “reverberate” downstream influencing eco-systems, fisheries, and the coastal zone in general, linking societal goals and objectives with performance measures and conceptual eco-logical models, adaptability in general and adaptive manage-ment in particular, quantifying and dealing with risk and uncertainty, and conflict management and resolution in a stakeholder-driven participatory political process. One can think of other skills needed to address some of our current and future management challenges. For example, how can managers most effectively design, manage and operate infrastructure in the face of non-stationarity in water supply and demand; identify and provide environmental flows in already over-allocated systems, especially in times of drought, and environmental effects of reservoir operation and dam removal; alter reservoir regulation in the face of changing uses and priorities, environmental and ecological uncertainties and needs, and possibly the removal of past engineering infrastructure such as dams and canals; predict and then respond to hydrologic responses to precipitation, surface water generation and transport, environmental stresses on aquatic ecosystems, the relationships between landscape changes, sediment fluxes, and subsurface transport, as well as mapping ground water recharge and discharge vulnerability; respond to the environmental, economic, health and social impacts caused by floods, droughts, sedimentation, and contamination including from pharmaceuticals and other household chemicals and products; provide an early warning for flooding, droughts, habitat degradation, and health hazards, increase the efficiency of water use, especially in the agricultural sector; address questions whose answers require knowledge of the quantitative relationships among various physical, chemical, biological, and social process occurring at disparate spatial or temporal scales. For example, how can we scale up to larger area forecasts from knowledge of smaller habitat patch scale ones? How can we estimate regional aquatic ecosystem processes over entire river basins often based on small plot experiments and observations? deal with deforestation, suburbanization, road construction, agriculture, and other human land-use activities that impact economies and ecosystems (changes in land cover, climate, and land use affect water quantity and quality regimes which impact ecosystem health and other uses of water such as for drinking, irrigation, industry and recreation); manage chemical and biological components of the hydrological cycle under changing land uses and habitats, and control invasive species … This list could continue. Suffice to say there are many subjects a competent water resource manager should be familiar with, at least to the extent that the issues are appreciated and that effective communication can take place between the manager and experts or specialists when appropriate. Today's planning and management environment involves public participation, not just at the final stages of planning, but throughout the process, including decision making. Tools are being developed to help all stakeholders gain a “shared vision” of how their system works, and the physical, economic, environmental, ecological and sometimes the social impacts of various plans and management policies. Such public participation does not make the planning and management processes any easier, or more efficient, or cheaper. In fact often the opposite happens. But the end result has a far better chance of being robust to multiple interests and thus more sustainable in the long run (ASCE 1998). Future water resources managers need to know how to facilitate such participation. Water resources professors cannot rest on their laurels. Planning and management issues continue to evolve as do their demands on this profession. Students today will be faced with problems and technology we can only speculate about today. But they have to be prepared to effectively address those issues and use that technology. It's the job of those of us involved in water resources planning and management programs at universities to ensure our graduates have that capability. The increasing breadth, complexity, and rate of change of professional practice places a greater emphasis not only on continuing education but also on what a basic professional education must deliver at the undergraduate as well as graduate levels. The body of knowledge necessary to effectively manage water resources is beyond the scope of the traditional bachelor's degree, even when coupled with early-career experience. Education must meld technical excellence with the ability to lead, influence, and integrate a diverse number of disciplines and stakeholders – all required to meet societal goals in some ‘best’ and most sustainable way. Ideally, graduates from university programs in water resources planning and management should be knowledgeable in their particular discipline, as well as conversant with other applicable disciplines. An engineer, for example, should not only understand how to use the theories, principles, and/or fundamentals of mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering economics, biology, and probability and statistics underlying engineering but also be exposed to political processes, systems analysis and computer modeling, laws and regulations, history, sociology, and ethics. Most importantly, they should know how to work in interdisciplinary teams and effectively and clearly communicate orally and in writing. They must be optimistic in the face of challenges and setbacks they will surely face, and be committed to ethical behavior, both personally and professionally. After graduation they must remain curious and willing to continue learning fresh approaches, develop and use new technology or innovative applications of existing technology, and take on new endeavors that require research and ingenuity. Managing our water resources, including our ecosystems in our natural and built environments, involves both technical and administrative expertise. It involves both the “hard” as well as the “soft” sciences. In the hard sciences, the laws of physics, biology, chemistry, and mathematics are well established. The same cannot be said of the soft social and political sciences. Thus the “hard” sciences are easy. The “soft” sciences are hard. Clearly, however, we need more people competent in both to address many of the issues water resource managers are facing today. Daniel P. Loucks is a professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, USA, (www.cornell.edu) where he teaches and directs research in the development and application of economics, ecology and systems analysis methods for estimating the impacts of alternative policies aimed at solving environmental and regional water resources problems. He has authored articles and book chapters in these subject areas and has been involved in various development and environmental restoration projects throughout the world. He may be reached at Loucks@cornell.edu.

A disaggregated assessment of national water security: An application to the river basins in Thailand

The concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) was first introduced in Malaysia since 1990s in various forms. However, the key issue remained how to implement it? IWRM can be best implemented at the basin level by using an Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) approach. IRBM as a subset of IWRM is an approach to water resource management that takes into account all the factors linked to the resources, including social and economic activities. The implementation of IWRM at basin level in Malaysia has been initiated in managing water resources and river basin in Langat River Basin, Malaysia. The Langat River Basin is a transboundary river basin and is one of the Evolving UNESCO-IHP HELP Basins since 2004. The basin is small but has inherited many problems of a large river basin. This is because the river plays an important role in conservation, agriculture and potable water supply, but is facing threat from rapid development in the industry sectors and urbanization in the basin. This is why the components of IWRM and IRBM is needed to be implemented as practical approaches toward sustainable water resources and river basin management in Langat. This paper highlights some initiatives that have been made in managing water resources in this basin, as well as describes the current development and existing commitments towards achieving sustainability of water resources and river basin. The implementation of IWRM and IRBM need to be enhanced and further strengthened in order to ensure the sustainability of the water resources and river basin in Langat.

Irrigation is an important adaptation measure to global climate change, aimed at ensuring the sustainable development of the agricultural sector and addressing the food crisis. At the same time, methods and practices of sustainable management of water resources, soils, and soil fertility are of critical importance. The application of such approaches supports soil health, enables the delivery of essential ecosystem services, and contributes to overall ecosystem stability. This article analyses the issues of sustainable management of soil and water resources both internationally and within Ukraine. The study involves a bibliometric analysis of literature in the Scopus database, using selected keywords and a defined date range to examine the development of irrigation worldwide. Bibliographic network maps based on keywords were constructed, and clusters representing different aspects of irrigation research were identified. These clusters allow for the tracing of trends and the evolution of focus areas within this research domain. Ukraine is characterised by low coefficients of water resource availability. This study outlines the conceptual approaches, strategic directions, and current state of irrigation development in Ukraine, taking into account contemporary challenges. One of the key challenges facing the development of irrigation, irrigated agriculture, and the sustainable use of water and soil resources is the ongoing military conflict. The bibliometric analysis conducted reveals an increasing number of global publications on this topic during the period 1990–2023. The findings of this research can be used to inform irrigation development planning in Ukraine and to support decision-making at various levels of governance to ensure the sustainable management of water and soil resources.

Reconciling and contextualising multi-dimensional aspects for consolidated water security index: A synthesis

Facing Global Environmental Change

The Role of Technology in Water Resources Planning and Management , E.M. Perez and W. Viessman . ( Editors ). ASCE Press , 1801 Alek Bell Drive, Reston, Virginia 20191-4400 . 2009 . 134 pages . $22 . ISBN 978-0-7844-1028-8 . The main thrust of this 134-page paperback pertains to the impact of using computers and their increasingly sophisticated programs in conjunction with advanced technologies in water resources-related planning and management activities. Appropriate attention is also given to the growing use of GIS in the development of planning and management models. The book begins with a short but useful chapter on the evolution of water resources technology and then continues with three chapters on case studies in water supply, environmental restoration cases, and emerging technologies. Each one of the three chapters includes three different case studies that highlight the issues for each of the study areas. This procedure was good, as a brief but informative background and history of the area (such as the Kissimmee River in Florida) and was followed by a sound, detailed account of the various models, programs, problems, and techniques that were applied to the subject area. Each one of the nine case studies in Chapters 3-5 followed the aforementioned writing format. The examples selected were very informative, as they covered a range of study areas and interesting local issues. The water supply case studies in Chapter 3 included the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area water supply, water availability modeling in Texas with particular emphasis on surface water, and the massive groundwater development project in Libya. The restoration case studies in Chapter 4 included two areas from Florida (Kissimmee River and the Everglades) and a coastal area study in Louisiana. The case studies on emerging technologies in Chapter 5 discussed the decision support system in the South Platte River watershed in Colorado, the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence region, and the operations management of the South Florida Water Management District. The discussion in each study had certain similarities, but the institutional, technical, and differences in location were quite interesting and useful. Regrettably, there were some aspects of the book that could have been avoided. For example, the inner and outer horizontal margins of the pages are only about 0.4 in. (1.02 cm) and 0.3 in. (0.76 cm), respectively. The reader has to constantly press the book down to read the text. Another item that could easily be clarified is to identify what TAF represents in Figure 21. It is presumed to be “thousand acre-feet,” but a brief note would have helped. It is always useful to include maps in a book of this nature. Many projects in different locations are discussed, and basic maps are obviously necessary. Some of the maps were not as clear as they could have been. For example, Figure 1 has a map scale of 1 in. to 44.4 mi for the Potomac River watershed, resulting in a small scale map that makes it very difficult to even read the names of the major rivers. At the least, the printed size of the river names should have been larger. The maps that show the huge groundwater project in Libya (Figure 4) and the Colorado’s River basins (Figure 20) do not have scales. The map of south-central Florida (Figure 13) that goes from the Keys to Orlando has a scale of only 1 in. to 80 mi, which is too small to accompany the discussion in the chapter. The adjoining map of the South Florida Water Management District on the same page (p. 52) is also too small to be of much value. Finally, it would have been useful to include a list of the maps at the very beginning of the book. The various sections of the book also have different writing styles and modes of expression, presumably generated by the 11 members of the Task Committee, two of whom were editors. The talent pool on the committee was substantial, but the material in each chapter varied considerably, perhaps reflecting different authors. This situation led to another unknown (i.e., who were the authors of the various chapters and sections). Mention is made of “… the writer” in the second paragraph on p. 87, but there is no identification. Did this unnamed writer work only on the South Platte River, or on all of Chapter 5? It seems fairly reasonable to have the author(s) identified for the sections/chapters that they wrote. The concluding chapter is excellent, as it serves as a clear, succinct statement of the role of technology in water resources planning. Interesting comments were also made about the role of the federal government and the states in encouraging or discouraging a variety of options to deal with water resource issues. In conclusion, the major goals of the Committee have been met, although there could have been some improvements as previously discussed. Robert M. Hordon Water Resources Consultant8 Dov PlaceKendall Park, New Jersey 08824 Water Ethics: Foundational Readings for Students and Professionals , P.G. Brown and J.J. Schmidt ( Editors ). Island Press , 1718 Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste. 300, Washington, D.C. 20009 . 2010 . 301 pages . $35.00 (paper ). ISBN 978-1-59726-565-2 . I really enjoyed reading Water Ethics because I have an interest in philosophy. But even if I did not have a background in philosophy, I still would have enjoyed reading these essays – maybe it is simply because something in these well written essays resonated with me. Indeed, I find myself re-reading many of the essays – some of them are just that good. Many of these essays are more than rote academic exercises. I was fully engaged – heart and mind – as I read Water Ethics. For me, some of the philosophies expressed have moved me to action. But to be sure, I was not motivated by monetary gain – not for upward mobility. No, I found myself moved to do good just for the sake of doing good – for what I think is right. Admittedly, I did not instantly recognize many of the essayists in Water Ethics. I hope this is because of my own ignorance of water ethics – my own distorted gestalt focused on the technical issues of water. Still, if you don’t recognize these authors, you should not be dissuaded from reading these essays – many of them are beautifully written and often you can feel the emotional connection that the authors have with their art. Too many excellent works to adequately describe here are included. Indeed, I cannot do justice to reviewing even one single work in the short span of this review. But I think it is useful to discuss two essays that particularly struck me. The essay, “Fish First! The Changing Ethics of Ecosystem Management,” was written by Carolyn Merchant. In particular, one passage moved me: “There is an intrinsic value to all living and nonliving things, and all have a right to survive.” I already believed this to be true but until now I felt alone in this view and I remained mute for fear of ridicule. But this passage let me know that there are others that believe as I do and that I am not alone in holding this view. Nor is this a diseased view. So I am now okay with this thought, that there is an intrinsic value to all things and I am moved to action. There is no reason why I cannot incorporate this thought into my professional ethos – I would be dishonest if I did otherwise. The second essay that stirred me: “Women, Water, Energy: An Ecofeminist Approach,” was written by Greta Gaard. Again, there was one particular passage that touched me: “Exemplifying the instrumentalism inherent in Plumwood’s master model, Western culture views water primarily as a means to its own ends, a servant to the dominant (not subordinate) population; it is difficult, in this cultural context, to imagine that water would have purposes of its own.” Again, I felt relieved that others hold this view – that water would have purposes of its own – as I have held this view for quite some time. Again, I realize that all of my thoughts are not necessarily malformed. Gaard’s essay too has moved me to take action – I am emboldened to modify my professional perspective to accommodate my old friend. I realize that my views might not be held by many other hydrologists – and my views probably won’t make me wealthy or popular. But I will say this, these essays, if you let them, can motivate you to take action for what you believe is right. I am glad that I read Water Ethics and I would not hesitate suggesting it to my colleagues. The essays are not necessarily written for the professional philosopher – the essays are not laden with unfamiliar jargon – the views are immediately understandable. But an emotional component espoused by Water Ethics is lacking in a purely reductionist view of water. Kevin J. Spelts Twin Platte Natural Resources District111 S. Dewey St., 2nd FloorNorth Platte, Nebraska 69103 Water Resources Engineering (Second Edition) , L.W. Mays . John Wiley & Sons, Inc. , 111 River St., Hoboken, New Jersey 07030-5774 . 2011 . 890 pages . ISBN 978-0-470-46064-1. This book is a detailed text for all students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and also an excellent reference for engineers and hydrologists. It is suitable for the first undergraduate course in hydraulics, hydrology, and hydraulic design by reference to selected chapters in those fields. Two new chapters on water resources engineering and sustainability have been added to this revised edition. The book is divided into five major areas: Water Resource Sustainability, Hydraulics, Hydrology, Engineering Analysis and Design for Water Use, and Engineering Analysis and Design for Water Excess Management. There are 19 chapters in the book that cover the extensive gamut of hydrology and hydraulics with the exception of the water quality aspects of water resources engineering. The book includes an enormous amount of detail along with copious tables, sample problems, maps, graphs, and photos. The graphs are very useful, numerous, and generally quite clear. Websites are given where appropriate in addition to numerous references. All chapters contain useful problems with worked out solutions and good diagrams for many of the processes. Chapter 2 deals with water resources sustainability and begins with a very good discussion of the Colorado River Basin and the problems of demand exceeding supply in the foreseeable future, as urban/suburban water demand continues to grow. As in this chapter and throughout the book, the author must be commended for the detail in the tables and footnotes in addition to including the source of the data. However, all of the supporting tables and figures are numbered with three digits, such as the map on p. 17 that is labeled as Figure 2.2.1 rather than Figure 2.1. It is the author’s discretion, but many other texts drop the extra digits and just use, for example, Figure 2.1 (Chapter 2, Figure 1) that seems to be easier to find and use. Chapters 3-6 cover the hydraulic processes associated with flow and hydrostatic forces, pressurized pipe flow, open channel flow, and groundwater flow. Chapter 7 on hydrologic processes focuses on the engineering aspects of hydrology with particular attention to surface water. Chemical properties of water and its relationship to biota are not included. The maps of drainage basins are a nice feature, especially since most of them have graphic scales with the exception of Figure 7.1.9 (the Upper Mississippi River without the Missouri River). Figure 7.1.3 on p. 235 shows a map of the world with major ocean currents. As the map is greatly extended along the Equator, it would have been useful to provide a name for the projection (presumably some type of equal-area projection). Many references in climatology include “convergent lifting” as one of the four types of lifting mechanisms that result in precipitation. The convergence type is generally not as common as the three types cited on p. 238, but it is still deemed a major source of precipitation, particularly in the lower latitudes on both sides of the Equator. This Intertropical Convergence Zone is noted for copious precipitation, general instability, and rising air in the Hadley cells. It shifts seasonally from about 150°S in North Australia to 250°N in northern India – a range of about 400° in latitude. Chapters 8 and 9 deal with surface runoff and reservoir and stream flow routing. Probability is thoroughly treated in Chapter 10 with numerous problems that involve hydrology and hydraulic design and analysis. Chapter 11 deals with water withdrawal and uses. Surprisingly, with the exception of Vol. 1 of the Gleick et al., Biennial Reports that started in 1998-1999, no other reference to the other five Biennial Reports that covered the periods 2000-2001 through 2008-2009 was made. Abundant in-depth material about water issues is included in these compilations and to exclude them from the reference list in one or more chapters appears inappropriate. To be fair to the author who has selected some of the best possible references overall to be included, it would have been better to extend the list to include recent works on such important areas as water use and trends. This chapter is potentially very interesting and useful, but some of the data are dated. For example, Figure 11.1 shows United States (U.S.) freshwater withdrawals and consumption based on the USGS five-year reports during the 1960-1990 period. This revised edition does not include the USGS reports (or more formally Circulars) for 1995, 2000, and 2005. Would the trends change if more recent data were included? At the least, it would be nice to know. Similar comments could be made about Table 11.1.2 based on a reference from 1991, Tables 11.1.3-11.1.5, 11.2.1, 11.2.2, and Tables 11.4.2 and 11.4.3. Flow duration curves are shown in Figure 11.7.2 on semilog graphs. In Searcy’s USGS Water-Supply Paper 1542-A of 1959, a flow duration curve is shown on a log probability graph. It would have been useful to briefly discuss the difference, if any, between the two types of graph. The list of references is extensive. However, there are none after 2000. Other chapters have newer references, but not this one. Chapters 12-17 cover in good fashion the topics of water distribution, hydroelectric generation, flood control, storm sewers and detention, street and highway drainage and culverts, and the design of spillways. Chapter 18 covers sedimentation and erosion hydraulics. The chapter begins with a brief but important discussion of bridge failures that are caused by floods, as 84% of the 575,000 bridges in the U.S. National Bridge Inventory have been built over streams that are alluvial and therefore are always re-arranging their streambeds and banks. The costs to society when these bridges are damaged or destroyed are substantial, to say the least. Chapter 19 is the last chapter and covers the topic of water resources management for sustainability. It includes many references that are recent, as evidenced by the inclusion of appropriate websites. Major issues discussed include water law of both surface water and groundwater. The sustainable water supply techniques for arid and semiarid areas form a very useful addition to this concluding chapter. The topics include water reclamation and reuse, aquifer recharge, desalination, water transfers such as the Central Arizona Project, the massive movement of groundwater from an aquifer in southern Libya to northern Libya, the Israeli National Water Carrier system to move water to drier sections of the country, and a long-range plan to transfer water from the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers in south-central China to the drier northern parts of China. The author properly makes it obvious that the plan to divert water that results from an ancient pluvial period in the Sahara to the coastal area along the Mediterranean Sea does not include any recharge, so that it is really a nonrenewable resource. In summary, this is an impressive book. The amount of material covered in a detailed manner is simply astounding. The text is buttressed by a truly extensive collection of tables, graphs, maps, photographs, and references at the end of each chapter. The book is recommended for undergraduate and graduate students in addition to the specialized interests of the professional community of engineers, hydrologists, and water resource specialists. Robert M. Hordon Water Resources Consultant8 Dov PlaceKendall Park, New Jersey 08824 Other Books and Publications Received Water Resources , S.C., Anisfeld . Island Press , 1718 Connecticut Ave. NW, Ste. 300, Washington, D.C. 20009 . 2010 . 330 pages . ISBN 978-1-59726-495-2 . Floods and droughts frequently garner the headlines, but they are just part of the multifaceted water crisis facing the world today. Anisfeld addresses the principal ecological and human problems related to water. After introducing the basics of hydrology, he explores issues including flooding, scarcity, climate change, technologies, ecosystem degradation, human health, agriculture, industry, inefficiency and inequity, and political conflict. He argues that the key challenge is balancing competing demands for water, from drinking to navigation to ecosystem protection. This balancing act can be summed up by the two Es – efficiency and equity. New Membranes and Advanced Materials for Wastewater Treatment , A. Mueller, B. Guieysse, and A. Sarker ( Editors ). Oxford University Press , 198 Madison Ave., New York, New York 10016 . 2010 . 272 pages . $150.00 . ISBN 978-0-84-127214-9 . This book demonstrates that recent innovations in material sciences provide tremendous potential to develop a novel generation of water treatment technologies. The book focuses on (1) creating a viable product from waste removed from water, (2) solutions to common water remediation problems, and (3) molecularly imprinted polymers for water remediation, new to the field. Hydrocomplexity: New Tools for Solving Wicked Water Problems , S. Khan, H. Savenije, S. Demuth, and P. Hubert . IAHS Press , Center for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom . 2010 . 272 pages . £55 . ISBN 978-1-907-161-11-7 . This book is the proceedings of a conference on the topic of the book title. The book includes 63 papers divided into 11 sections, as follows: Monitoring and Evaluating the Water Cycle, Linking Climate Change With Water Cycle Management, Parsimonious Vs. Complicated Approaches, Whole-of-System and Adaptive Approaches, Need for Transdisciplinary Issues Approaches to Deal With Water Related Ecosystems, Integrated Approaches, Role of Knowledge Platforms for Community Engagement, From Artificial to Embodied Intelligence, Water Allocation Dilemma, Water Quality – A Critical Issue, and Managing Hydrohazards. Status and Perspectives of Hydrology in Small Basins , A. Herrmann and S. Schumann . IAHS Press , Center for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom . 2010 . 313 pages . £65 . This book includes the papers presented at a conference on hydrologic aspects associated with small watersheds. The book includes 47 papers allocated to the following eight sections: Presently Operated Small Hydrological Research Basins, Fundamental Hydrological Results Drawn From Studies in Small Basins, Hydrological Processes Knowledge Drawn From Studies in Small Basins, Importance of Hydrological Data, Research on Hydrological Processes, What Contribution to the Monitoring and Understanding of Changes in Physical Processes, The Contribution to the PUB Initiative, and Do We Need Research From Small Basins? Worlds of Flow: A History of Hydrodynamics From the Bernoullis to Prandtl , O. Derrigol . Oxford University Press , 198 Madison Ave., New York, New York 10016 . 2009 . 356 pages . ISBN 978-0-19-955911-4 . This book provides an in-depth history of hydrodynamics from its 18th Century foundations to its first major successes in 20th Century hydraulics and aeronautics. It documents the foundational role of fluid mechanics in developing a new mathematical physics. It discusses the conceptual breakthroughs of physicists and engineers who tried to meet the practical challenges of the practical worlds of hydraulics, navigation, blood circulation, meteorology, and aeronautics. It shows how the early promise of hydrodynamics at last began to fulfill its early promise to unify the early worlds of flow. It should be of interest to historians, engineers, philosophers, and The eight chapters cover topics from to from and to instability, and from to water the on the Platte River Water , . Press of Colorado , Ave., Ste. Colorado . 2010 . pages . . ISBN . Water of the Platte River have to the water supply, and water In the a new the of four into its This book of the the United States of the the environmental and the how interests found the by the how these interests and which water and an the this book the that over more than

Indonesia has abundant water resources in the rainy season but experiences water scarcity during the dry season. The need for sustainable management of water resources in overcoming hydrometeorological disasters such as floods and drought. The purpose of this study was to determine the value of willingness to pay, factors that influence willingness to pay, and the conservation policy chosen by the people of Parerejo Village in realizing sustainable water resource management. The policies offered in the management of sustainable water resources are greening, infiltration wells, and bio-pores. This study uses the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to see the influencing factors of willingness to pay and descriptive analysis to see preference policy accepted by society. The data used are primary data obtained from 156 respondents. The study showed that the willingness to pay for Parerejo village communities in the management of water resources is still low at ≤ IDR 50,000.00. Only variables of education and knowledge about water scarcity significantly influenced the willingness to pay for water resources management. Based on the descriptive analysis, the communities preferred the greening policies solution for sustainable water resources management.

Co-development of East African regional water scenarios for 2050

Public participation in integrated water resources management: the case of Tanzania

Reassessing water resource challenges in a changing climate in the Kagera transboundary river basin, Tanzania

Environmental flow (EF) indicates, in general, the minimum required flow to maintain the valued features of a river system. The concept of EF is central to achieving sustainable water resources management. Adopting the EF at a river basin scale however, poses a great challenge and is observed still at its infancy. An attempt is, therefore, made to reflect the implication and need of the EF in sustainable water resources management including the challenges most likely the water professionals face in adopting the EF. This paper further reviews the current status of the adoption and use of the EF approach in water resources management, in particular for the South Asian countries where freshwater is becoming scarce, leading to an environmental water scarcity. The review finds modest progress in assessment and adoption of EF into water resources management in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India; however, Bangladesh and Nepal show an early stage progressing. Towards the end a few recommendations have been put forward on the measures required in recognizing the EF as an effective tool in integrated water resource management.

Emphasizes the importance of water security in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in a global context, including impacts on human well-being and economic prosperity. Chronic scarcity, variable hydrology, poor governance, and soaring demand are causing overexploitation of the region’s scarce water resources. The surface water resources of the MENA region are not only the scarcest; they also constitute the most variable and unpredictable in the world. The MENA region, as well as Central Asia and parts of South and East Asia, stand out as areas in which water resources are being unsustainably exploited. Achieving water security involves actions across a range of elements related to water resources management and service delivery; without enhanced water security, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will prove difficult, in particular SDG 6, the so-called water SDG, which seeks to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Increased usage and non-efficient management of limited resources has created the risk of water resource scarcity. Due to climate change, urbanization, and lack of effective water resource management, countries like Pakistan are facing difficulties coping with the increasing water demand. Rapid urbanization and non-resilient infrastructures are the key barriers in sustainable urban water resource management. Therefore, there is an urgent need to address the challenges of urban water management through effective means. We propose a workflow for the modeling and simulation of sustainable urban water resource management and develop an integrated framework for the evaluation and planning of water resources in a typical urban setting. The proposed framework uses the Water Evaluation and Planning system to evaluate current and future water demand and the supply gap. Our simulation scenarios demonstrate that the demand–supply gap can effectively be dealt with by dynamic resource allocation, in the presence of assumptions, for example, those related to population and demand variation with the change of weather, and thus work as a tool for informed decisions for supply management. In the first scenario, 23% yearly water demand is reduced, while in the second scenario, no unmet demand is observed due to the 21% increase in supply delivered. Similarly, the overall demand is fulfilled through 23% decrease in water demand using water conservation. Demand-side management not only reduces the water usage in demand sites but also helps to save money, and preserve the environment. Our framework coupled with a visualization dashboard deployed in the water resource management department of a metropolitan area can assist in water planning and effective governance.