Water Resource And The Aquatic Environment

Dr J.M.C.K Jayawardana is a senior lecturer attached to the Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. She completed her Bachelor's degree at the University of Sri Jayawardanapura, Sri Lanka specialized in the field of Zoology. She obtained her MPhil degree from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka in the area of Aquatic Resource Management and subsequently she obtained her PhD in Environmental Management from the University of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia in 2007. Her major area of specialization is Aquatic ecology and she is currently involved in many research projects related to areas of catchment management, stream health assessment and aquatic environment management. She has been serving as a University lecturer for twenty years and supervised several undergraduate and postgraduate students and involved in several research projects in the area of Environmental sciences. She has published her work in several international as well as nationally reputed journals and presented in many international and national conferences. Book Description: One of the main challenges faced by humans today is finding a balance between economic development of respective countries and sustainable utilization of Earth's resources. With the increase in the human population, demand for water resources is increasing globally. One of the challenges for water conservation in the future is the sustainability of current and future water resource allocation. Finding a balance between what is needed by humans and what is needed in the environment is an important step in the sustainability of water resources. With this in mind, sustainable utilization of water resources, and conservation and management of aquatic ecosystems on Earth is an essential step towards the sustainable management of global water resources. This book discusses the current status of water resources on Earth and challenges water resource conservation in the first chapter. The second chapter of the book describes the physical, chemical and biological properties of water, and the biological indicators that can be used as water quality indicators. The third chapter of the book discusses how water becomes polluted, factors contributing to water pollution, as well as types and sources of water pollutants. The fourth chapter discusses the importance of water quality monitoring programmes and the methods of water quality monitoring programmes. Chapters Five and Six discuss the characteristics of lotic and lentic systems, factors affecting lotic and lentic systems and possible management options for each category. Chapter Seven discusses the aspects related to watershed management and water pollution control. The final chapter discusses agricultural and urban watershed management options, common issues related to their management, and strategies to reduce waste generation and pollution control. Target Audience: This book is recommended for undergraduate and postgraduate students who are following course modules of Limnology, Aquatic resource management and Environmental sciences and also for the professionals who are working in the field of Aquatic resource management.

The world faces huge challenges for water as population continues to grow, as emerging economies develop and as climate change alters the global and local water cycle. There are major questions to be answered about how we supply water in a sustainable and safe manner to fulfil our needs, while at the same time protecting vulnerable ecosystems from disaster. Water Resources: An Integrated Approach provides students with a comprehensive overview of both natural and socio-economic processes associated with water. The book contains chapters written by 20 specialist contributors, providing expert depth of coverage to topics. The text guides the reader through the topic of water starting with its unique properties and moving through environmental processes and human impacts upon them including the changing water cycle, water movement in river basins, water quality, groundwater and aquatic ecosystems. The book then covers management strategies for water resources, water treatment and re-use, and the role of water in human health before covering water economics and water conflict. The text concludes with a chapter that examines new concepts such as virtual water that help us understand current and future water resource use and availability across interconnected local and global scales. This book provides a novel interdisciplinary approach to water in a changing world, from an environmental change perspective and inter-related social, political and economic dimensions. It includes global examples from both the developing and developed world. Each chapter is supplemented with boxed case studies, end of chapter questions, and further reading, as well as a glossary of terms. The text is richly illustrated throughout with over 150 full colour diagrams and photos.

How much water does the world need to support growing human populations? What factors influence water quality, droughts, floods, and waterborne diseases? What are the potential effects of climate change on the world's water resources? These questions and more are discussed in this thorough introduction to the complex world of water resources. The strength of the book is its coverage of the fundamentals of the science of water, aquatic ecology, geomorphology and hydrology, supplemented by internet resources and examples from water resource issues in the news to engage the student. The book begins with a short history of human use and influence on water, followed by chapters on the geomorphology, hydrology, chemistry, and biology of lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Major disease issues, worldwide water quality and quantity problems, and potential solutions are addressed. Water laws, water allocation, and the conflicts involved are discussed using US and international examples. Students in departments of environmental studies, life science, Earth science, and engineering will benefit from this broad survey of these crucial issues.

Water is an increasingly critical issue at the forefront of global policy change, management and planning. There are growing concerns about water as a renewable resource, its availability for a wide range of users, aquatic ecosystem health, and global issues relating to climate change, water security, water trading and water ethics. This handbook provides the most comprehensive reference ever published on water resource issues. It brings together multiple disciplines to understand and help resolve problems of water quality and scarcity from a global perspective. Its case studies and 'foundation' chapters will be greatly valued by students, researchers and professionals involved in water resources, hydrology, governance and public policy, law, economics, geography and environmental studies.

Thoroughly updated and expanded new edition introduces students to the complex world of water resources and environmental issues.

In this concise introduction to water resources, Shimon Anisfeld explores the fundamental interactions between humans and water, including drinking, sanitation, irrigation, and power production. The book familiarizes students with the current water crisis and with approaches for managing this essential resource more effectively in a time of rapid environmental and social change. Anisfeld addresses both human and ecological problems, including scarcity, pollution, disease, flooding, conflicts over water, and degradation of aquatic ecosystems. In addition to providing the background necessary to understand each of these problems, the book discusses ways to move towards better management and addresses the key current debates in the water policy field. In the past, water development has often proceeded in a single-sector fashion, with each group of users implementing its own plans without coordination with other groups, resulting in both conflict and inefficiency. Now, Anisfeld writes, the challenge of water management is figuring out how to balance all the different demands for water, from sanitation to energy generation to ecosystem protection. For inquiring students of any level, Water Resources provides a comprehensive one-volume guide to a complex but vital field of study.

In order to confront the increasingly severe water problems faced by all parts of the country, the United States needs to make a new commitment to research on water resources. A new mechanism is needed to coordinate water research currently fragmented among nearly 20 federal agencies. Given the competition for water among farmers, communities, aquatic ecosystems and other users-as well as emerging challenges such as climate change and the threat of waterborne diseases-Confronting the Nation's Water Problems concludes that an additional $70 million in federal funding should go annually to water research. Funding should go specifically to the areas of water demand and use, water supply augmentation, and other institutional research topics. The book notes that overall federal funding for water research has been stagnant in real terms for the past 30 years and that the portion dedicated to research on water use and social science topics has declined considerably.