In order to deal with the water scarcity problem, public and private sectors have made tremendous efforts worldwide. China is facing severe water shortage due to climatic, geographical and demographic factors. Especially, inefficient management and under-developed water conservation technology in agricultural sector are big problems for the government and farmers. The book provides theoretical and quantitative tools to manage water resource and irrigation projects efficiently. Meanwhile farmers' choices of modern irrigation technology are taken into account to evaluate on-farm water efficiency. The study investigates the impact of public and private investment on water resources allocation and social welfare in an irrigation area using a spatial mathematical programming model. The results of the study show that aggregate water efficiency in an irrigation area will be improved significantly by increasing public and private investment in water conservation activities.

Rapid population growth, limited water availability, climate variability and environmental pollution together cause a significant challenge to provide sufficient water to urban residents in a sustainable and effective way. Advanced water treatment technology can contribute to the solution of problems physically, but it may not ensure sustainable operation of water systems. The obstacles to sustainable water supply and services often are from non-technical problems such as low cost recovery, lack of sound pricing systems and sustainable financing for increasing service coverage. The financial and economic factors could be a large barrier to the operation of water systems. Through the case of Beijing, the book demonstrates how to use economics in managing urban water systems. The research employs the methods of cost benefit analysis, linear programming and rough set analysis. An integrated and quantitative analysis of the economic, environmental and social effects of water systems considering the viewpoints of different stakeholders is carried out, which is rare in the existing literature. The research shows that economics contributes to identifying the non-technical problems in water systems and can help decision makers to make choices that are consistent with the long-term well being of the community.

This stimulating and challenging book explores the duplicitous nature of development in China. On the positive side, it brings longer and healthier lives; fewer children dead before they are five years old; more comfort and security from famine and disaster; more education; more communication; more travel; less war. But from another, darker perspective, development brings violence to some people – those who are in the way of the new things, those who cannot adapt to the new ways – and it threatens old knowledges, habits and societies as it disrupts old power structures. Michael Webber presents fascinating case studies that demonstrate what these forms of development mean for people who are relatively weak or powerless – those who post-colonial theorists call the subalterns. The cases illustrate how development can change the manner in which people relate to each other and threatens their entire environment. Through this detailed consideration of the impacts of development on the people who live in those places, he examines whether these changes represent the emergence of capitalism or a transition, develops a theory of relationships between economy and daily life and questions the very nature of Chinese capitalism. This multidisciplinary study encompasses the social sciences to provide a coherent view of the forms that development takes in various places within rural China. As such, it will prove a fascinating and thought-provoking read for undergraduates, postgraduate students and researchers within economics, Asian studies, development studies and geography.

The year 2007 could perhaps accurately be described as the year when climate change finally received the attention that this challenge deserves globally. Much of the information and knowledge that was created in this field during the year was the result of the findings of the Fourth - sessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which were disseminated on a large scale and reported extensively by the media. This was the result not only of a heightened interest on the part of the public on various aspects of climate change, but also because the IPCC itself proactively attempted to spread the findings of its AR4 to the public at large. The interest generated on the scientific realities of climate change was further enhanced by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the IPCC and former Vice President of the US, Al Gore. By taking this decision in favour of a leader who has done a great deal to create awareness on c- mate change, and a body that assesses all scientific aspects of climate change and disseminates the result of its findings, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has clearly drawn the link between climate change and peace in the world.