Recent studies of past climate and streamflow conditions have broadened understanding of long-term water availability in the Colorado River, revealing many periods when streamflow was lower than at any time in the past 100 years of recorded flows. That information, along with two important trends-a rapid increase in urban populations in the West and significant climate warming in the region-will require that water managers prepare for possible reductions in water supplies that cannot be fully averted through traditional means. Colorado River Basin Water Management assesses existing scientific information, including temperature and streamflow records, tree-ring based reconstructions, and climate model projections, and how it relates to Colorado River water supplies and demands, water management, and drought preparedness. The book concludes that successful adjustments to new conditions will entail strong and sustained cooperation among the seven Colorado River basin states and recommends conducting a comprehensive basinwide study of urban water practices that can be used to help improve planning for future droughts and water shortages.

This book provides insight into the hydrology, ecosystem services and management of water resources in the Paraná River basin, including the importance of water to the socio-economic development of the countries within the watershed. Running through Brazil. Paraguay and Argentina, the Paraná River and its watershed is home to some of South America's major population centers as well as important ecosystems threatened by development. At the same time, the river is a major resource driving the economies of the nations within its boundaries. This volume examines the impacts of environmental degradation, and the tradeoffs between the energy sector and the maintenance of ecosystem services. In particular, it focuses on the threats from development to sensitive ecosystems within the basin and the challenges of transboundary management of water resources. In addition to presenting wider perspectives on water management, the volume specifically covers water infrastructure, aquatic ecosystems, water quality, geomorphological influences and the impact of climate change. Finally, by assessing each country's current status in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals this volume provides a timely analysis as national governments within the basin are becoming increasingly concerned about the sustainability of the freshwater ecosystems within the Paraná River basin. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of water and natural resource management, environmental policy, sustainable development and Latin American studies. It will also be relevant to water management professionals.

Scientific evidence shows that most glaciers in South Asia's Hindu Kush Himalayan region are retreating, but the consequences for the region's water supply are unclear, this report finds. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region is the location of several of Asia's great river systems, which provide water for drinking, irrigation, and other uses for about 1.5 billion people. Recent studies show that at lower elevations, glacial retreat is unlikely to cause significant changes in water availability over the next several decades, but other factors, including groundwater depletion and increasing human water use, could have a greater impact. Higher elevation areas could experience altered water flow in some river basins if current rates of glacial retreat continue, but shifts in the location, intensity, and variability of rain and snow due to climate change will likely have a greater impact on regional water supplies. Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security makes recommendations and sets guidelines for the future of climate change and water security in the Himalayan Region. This report emphasizes that social changes, such as changing patterns of water use and water management decisions, are likely to have at least as much of an impact on water demand as environmental factors do on water supply. Water scarcity will likely affect the rural and urban poor most severely, as these groups have the least capacity to move to new locations as needed. It is predicted that the region will become increasingly urbanized as cities expand to absorb migrants in search of economic opportunities. As living standards and populations rise, water use will likely increase-for example, as more people have diets rich in meat, more water will be needed for agricultural use. The effects of future climate change could further exacerbate water stress. Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security explains that changes in the availability of water resources could play an increasing role in political tensions, especially if existing water management institutions do not better account for the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region. To effectively respond to the effects of climate change, water management systems will need to take into account the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region. This means it will be important to expand research and monitoring programs to gather more detailed, consistent, and accurate data on demographics, water supply, demand, and scarcity.

This book addresses the fundamental requirement for aninterdisciplinary catchment based approach to managing andprotecting water resources that crucially includes anunderstanding of land use and its management. In thisapproach the hydrological cycle links mountains to the sea, andecosystems in rivers, groundwaters, lakes, wetlands, estuaries andcoasts forming an essential continuum directly influenced by humanactivity. The book provides a synthesis of current and future thinking incatchment management, and shows how the specific problems thatarise in water use policy can be addressed within the context of anintegrated approach to management. The book is written for advancedstudents, researchers, fellow academics and water sectorprofessionals such as planners and regulators. The intention is tohighlight examples and case studies that have resonance not onlywithin natural sciences and engineering but with academicsin other fields such as socio-economics, law and policy.

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license. This revised, updated textbook presents a systems approach to the planning, management, and operation of water resources infrastructure in the environment. Previously published in 2005 by UNESCO and Deltares (Delft Hydraulics at the time), this new edition, written again with contributions from Jery R. Stedinger, Jozef P. M. Dijkman, and Monique T. Villars, is aimed equally at students and professionals. It introduces readers to the concept of viewing issues involving water resources as a system of multiple interacting components and scales. It offers guidelines for initiating and carrying out water resource system planning and management projects. It introduces alternative optimization, simulation, and statistical methods useful for project identification, design, siting, operation and evaluation and for studying post-planning issues. The authors cover both basin-wide and urban water issues and present ways of identifying and evaluating alternatives for addressing multiple-purpose and multi-objective water quantity and quality management challenges. Reinforced with cases studies, exercises, and media supplements throughout, the text is ideal for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in water resource planning and management as well as for practicing planners and engineers in the field.

Sustainable Water Resources Management presents the most current thinking on the environmental, social, and political dimensions of sustainably managing the water supply at local, regional, or basin levels.

Water Resources in the Mediterranean Region summarizes and collates scientific developments around water resources in the Mediterranean socio-economic environment through a multidisciplinary framework synthesizing hydrology, hydrogeology, climate, bioclimatology, economics, and geography. As such, it provides essential information for any reader looking to learn more about the Mediterranean which is experiencing the impact of climate change and concurrent complex issues of anthropogenic effects, especially in agriculture and other resource uses.Water Resources in the Mediterranean Region covers different challenges in the issue of the evolution of water resources in the Mediterranean. It is intended for PhD students, research scientists, and managers interested in new solutions and approaches for water management and in the forecast of future water dynamics.