The impacts of population growth, climate change, and water scarcity and variability on a country's economy or society, in addition to the sheer need to harness international rivers for domestic and regional purposes, have made the management of transboundary freshwater a subject of great import. Over the past several decades, research in various disciplines utilizing a variety of methodologies has explored these issues, focusing on freshwater's strategic importance as well as conflict, co...

Groundwater is humanity’s most vital supply of freshwater. Freshwater resources contained in aquifer systems globally are two orders of magnitude greater than those found in all rivers, lakes, and other surface freshwaters combined. Moreover, approximately one half of the world’s population today is dependent on groundwater for its basic needs.While these truisms are widely acknowledged, an additional reality is now recognized – many of these subsurface freshwater reservoirs are ac...

This book provides a comprehensive review of the state of international law as it applies to transboundary groundwater resources and aquifers. The main focus is on recent developments and the emerging international law for transboundary aquifers as reflected in the practice of states and the work of the UN International Law Commission, UN Economic Commission for Europe, and International Law Association.The author takes an interdisciplinary approach to the subject matter and provid...

Legal mechanisms for the management, development and protection of water resources have evolved over the years and have reached unprecedented levels of complexity and sophistication. This phenomenon is largely in response to the global community’s sustainable development agenda, to the challenges and limitations imposed by climate variability, and to scientific and technological advances. Bringing together diverse experiences from across the world, this book analyses existing water law and...

This open access book focuses on the importance of reducing pollution and protecting water resources for the health of people and the environment. Water is vital for life on Earth. The quality of the world's freshwater resources is deteriorating due to the rise in pollution levels, which puts the health of people and the environment at risk. Emerging pollutants, a new class called Contaminants of Emerging Concern, pose a global water quality challenge. The identification and implementation...

As the world faces another water crisis, it is easy to understand why this precious and highly-disputed resource could determine the fate of entire nations. In reality, however, water conflicts rarely result in violence and more often lead to collaborative governance, however precarious.In this comprehensive and accessible text, David Feldman introduces readers to the key issues, debates, and challenges in water politics today. Its ten chapters explore the processes that determine ...

This authoritative reference work gives timely information on the global politics of water. Readers will find case studies on a variety of complex water situations, from the Okavango River that flows through Angola, Namibia and Botswana, to the Euphrates-Tigris of the Upper Persian Gulf.With the current threat of climate change and increasing demand on water resources, the book gives valuable insight into an increasingly politicized topic. Politics of Water is a welcome addition to...

Water plays a key role in addressing the most pressing global challenges of our time, including climate change adaptation, food and energy security, environmental sustainability and the promotion of peace and stability. This comprehensive handbook explores the pivotal place of law and policy in efforts to ensure that water enables positive responses to these challenges and provides a basis for sound governance.The book reveals that significant progress has been made in recent decad...

Efficient and equitable water, wastewater and stormwater management for the megacities is becoming an increasingly complex task. The special issue will focus on water management in its totality for megacities, including their technical, social, economic, legal, institutional and environmental dimensions through a series of specially invited case studies from different megacities of the world.At present, around one out of two of the earth’s 6.3 billion people live in urban areas. Ea...

'The continued poverty of the majority of the planet's inhabitants and excessive consumption by the minority are the two major causes of environmental degradation The present course is unsustainable and postponing action is no longer an option. Inspired political leadership and intense cooperation across all regions and sectors will be needed to put both existing and new policy instruments to work. 'From the SynthesisGlobal Environment Outlook 2000 (GEO-2000) is a comprehensi...

It is beyond doubt that the interconnectedness between food, energy, water security and environmental sustainability exists and is getting amplified with increased globalization. It has been recognized that efforts to address only one part of a systemic problem by neglecting other inherently interlinked aspects may not lead to desirable and sustainable outcomes. In this perspective, policy- and decision- making requires a nexus approach that reduces trade-offs and builds synergies across s...

**“I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It will change how you think about the most important story of our time."—JEFF GOODELL, New York Times bestselling author of The Heat Will Kill You FirstFrom one of the world’s most celebrated thinkers on climate change comes a groundbreaking investigation into the human costs of extreme weather.**Climate change concerns everyone, but it does not affect us all equally. In this gripping, provocative manifesto, c...