Water Sustainability: A Global Perspective

Using the latest mapping techniques, J.A.A. Jones, Chair of the IGU Commission for Water Sustainability, examines water availability, the impact of climate change and the problems created for water management worldwide as well as possible solutions.

Water Sustainability: A Global View is the first textbook to meld the physical and human aspects affecting the world's water resources. In part one, it examines the restless water cycle, the impact of past and future climate change and the problems created for water management. In part two, the author investigates the human factors: population growth, urbanisation, the commercialisation of water including globalisation, privatisation and the role of international organisations, as well as the impact of war, terrorism and the credit crunch. In part three, current and future solutions are discussed including improved efficiency, water treatment systems, crop modification, desalination and rainwater harvesting. Jones concludes by positing the question of how far technical and financial innovations can overcome the limitations of climatic resources and examining the human and environmental costs involved in such developments.

This book is the ideal text for any student of water sustainability whether approaching the subject from the point of view of international relations, geography or environmental management.