Drought And Water Crises

Today the world is facing a greater water crisis than ever. Droughts of lesser magnitude are resulting in greater impact. Even in years with normal precipitation, water shortages have become widespread in both developing and developed nations, in humid as well as arid climates. When faced with severe drought, governments become eager to act. Unfort

Addresses the three pillars of an integrated approach to drought risk reduction: monitoring and early warning and information delivery systems; vulnerability and impact assessment; and mitigation and response. Provides sound analyses of the growing challenges presented by drought events and the shortcomings and opportunities for drought policy and preparedness in the context of water-related stresses across many jurisdictions Discusses in-depth case studies from researchers and practitioners dealing with drought and water-sensitive issues at local, national, and global scales. Presents the new science, theory and state-of the-art methods that have emerged throughout the world since the publication of the first edition.

Over the past decade there have been extraordinary advances towards drought risk reduction with the development of new water-conserving technologies, and new tools for planning, vulnerability and impact assessment, mitigation, and policy. Drought and Water Crises: Integrating Science, Management, and Policy, Second Edition comprehensively captures this evolving progress as it discusses drought management in the light of present risks, global climate change and public policy actions. This new edition emphasizes the paradigm shift from managing disasters to managing risk, reflecting the global emphasis that has evolved in recent years, a new focus that shines light on preparedness strategies and the tools and methods that are essential in drought risk reduction. The book provides additional relevant case studies that integrate this new approach and discusses examples applied in both developed and developing countries.

How is water scarcity becoming a serious problem worldwide—including in the United States? This book provides a broad overview of water, sanitation, and hygiene problems faced by both developing and developed nations around the globe and suggests how these problems can be solved by imaginative and innovative thinking. Human society depends on sufficient clean water. In many parts of the world, however, this most basic commodity is in very short supply. Even in developed, first-world nations, climate change and other factors have begun to create alarming water supply issues. The Global Water Crisis: A Reference Handbook provides a detailed overview of this important topic, enabling readers to understand the nature of the world's water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) problems and to know what resources are best for conducting their own research on the topic. The first chapter of the book provides the historical background information pertaining to the world's water and sanitation problems; the second chapter documents the problems, explores the issues, and presents potential solutions for understanding the nature of WASH issues. The other sections provide the needed resources for readers to study the issue of the global water crisis further: perspective essays, primary documents, biographical profiles, data and documents, an extended annotated bibliography, a chronology, and a glossary.

Only 3 per cent of the world's water is freshwater and about one third of that is inaccessible. The rest is very unevenly distributed, parts of Canada and the Amazon, for example are both more than amply suppied. Terrible and permanent water stress can be seen, among other places, in the drylands of Africa caused not just by drought, but by poverty leading to poor land management and over-population.;As with so many other things, those most badly affected are the poor nations of the world who are frequently faced with an impossible dilemma: they must either limit their water use to decreasingly available unused water or they must make do with used but untreated and, therefore, dangerous water. They cannot afford the technology to recycle safely. In rural regions increased populations and frequent droughts mean that in addition to the lack of fresh, clean water for human consumption there are inadequate supplies for crop irrigation.;An enormous proportion of the world's population lives in countries which share their primary sources of water with other nations, for example 12 countries depend on the Danube, 10 on the Niger, 9 on the Nile. Water is essential to development, both in poor countries and in rich, the use made of a major river in one country can affect seriously the possibilities open to another. Hence the international shortage is a major threat to world security. To take but one example, if Turkey goes ahead with its plan to damn the Euphrates, then Iraq and Syria, already water-stressed countries could be in even more serious trouble - they are hardly likely to accept the situation.;This book describes the world situation, addresses the nature of the problems, shows the ways in which they have been shamefully neglected in all development and economic thinking and proposes some solutions, often simple and well-tried but which could ensure water security for the whole world.

This book presents water insecurity issues in urban areas while developing a water security index and explores the innovative approaches to water development and management with examples from Asian cities. The urban water crisis is a global phenomenon, but it is more obvious in the megacities of the developing world. Urban drought, although not a familiar term, will pose a significant threat to humankind in the near future, especially in the context of increasing population in cities. Many cities are already unable to provide safe, clean water for their citizens. Some of the world’s largest cities depend heavily on groundwater for their water supply. It is unlikely that dependence on aquifers, which take many years to recharge, will be sustainable. As urban populations grow, water use will need to shift from agriculture to municipal and industrial uses, making decisions about allocating between different sectors difficult. Inefficient water-use practices by households and industries, fragmented management of water between sectors and institutions, climate-induced water shortages, environmental degradation of water sources, and inadequate use of alternate sources are also issues of major concern. Despite recent advances in the literature, there exists a considerable gap in attempting an integrated water-resource management approach. Covering all aspects of urban drought and water insecurity, this book is a valuable resource for students, researchers, academics, policy makers, and development practitioners.

A radical new approach to tackling the growing threat of water scarcity Water is essential to life, yet humankind's relationship with water is complex. For millennia, we have perceived it as abundant and easily accessible. But water shortages are fast becoming a persistent reality for all nations, rich and poor. With demand outstripping supply, a global water crisis is imminent. In this trenchant critique of current water policies and practices, Edward Barbier argues that our water crisis is as much a failure of water management as it is a result of scarcity. Outdated governance structures and institutions, combined with continual underpricing, have perpetuated the overuse and undervaluation of water and disincentivized much-needed technological innovation. As a result "water grabbing" is on the rise, and cooperation to resolve these disputes is increasingly fraught. Barbier draws on evidence from countries across the globe to show the scale of the problem, and outlines the policy and management solutions needed to avert this crisis.