Basin water development and rural dynamics in the Krishna Basin have led to a degradation of downstream ecosystems manifesting itself by salinizing soil and groundwater, increasing pollution, disappearing mangroves and desiccating wetlands. Reversing this evolution requires the formal recognition of the environment as a water user in its own right and the implementation of an environmental water provision. This provision should be based on a two-tier allocation system with assured discharges in the irrigation canals of the delta and to the ocean. This will lead to further commitment of water resources but this is needed to reconcile the social, economic and environmental objectives of a sustainable development. Other measures facilitating integrated natural resources management from the local to the basin level are needed too.

Progressive agricultural and water development in the Krishna Basin in South India has led to a rising over commitment of water resources and signs of basin closure are apparent during dry periods. As human consumptive uses are approaching the limits of water availability, this report focuses on the Lower Krishna Basin that bears the brunt of any intervention upstream. Capturing the process of basin closure requires an understanding of the political dimension of access to water and the scope for change. As basin closure intensifies the interconnectedness of ecosystems and water users, adjustments and management decisions result in spatial re-appropriation of water and basin-wide strategies for water management and development that start with the definition and the implementation of water allocation mechanisms are increasingly needed.

This book presents results of scientific studies ranging from hydrological modelling to water management and policy issues in the Nile River basin. It examines the physical, hydrometeorological and hydrogeological description of the basin along with analysis in understanding the hydrological processes of the basin under the changing land-use stemming from population pressure and increased natural resources tapping. The book discusses the increased impact of climate change on the river flows, and such issues as water availability and demand, management and policy to offset the imbalance between demand and available resources. This book will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, water resources mangers, policy makers as well as graduate and undergraduate students. It is a useful reference text for ecohydrology, arid zone hydrology, hydrology of transboundary rivers and similar courses.

The Karkheh River Basin is the third largest basin in Iran after Karoon and Dez, and occupies a strategic position on the western boundary of the country. The basin has seen remarkable ancient feats of engineering, and has a long history of wheat and barley production, complemented by horticulture. With the growth of the modern nation-state of Iran, water development has progressed steadily in tandem with rising populations and urbanization. The report aims to understand the historical setting and present situation of water development and allocation, in relation to rural development and agrarian policy. It provides the contextual backdrop for further research on the management of water to improve livelihoods in the basin through integrated and sustainable management of land and water resources. It provides further information on the changes in surface flows out of the component subbasins and looks at the development, use and consequences of groundwater abstraction.

The study examines the global pattern and impacts of droughts through mapping several drought-related characteristics - either at a country level or at regular grid scales. It appears that arid and semi-arid areas also tend to have a higher probability of drought occurrence. It is illustrated that the African continent is lagging behind the rest of the world on many indicators related to drought-preparedness and that agricultural economies, overall, are much more vulnerable to adverse societal impacts of meteorological droughts. The study also examines the ability of various countries to satisfy their water needs during droughts using storage-related indices.

This report explores the theory and practice of Adaptive Water Management (AWM) based on a detailed field study in the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A five-step framework is used to analyze the extent to which AWM is practiced and how it could be improved. The analysis shows that the LBP system has increasingly fulfilled the criteria of a complex adaptive system over the years. The main uncertainty factor, rainfall variability, has been considered in a stepwise way during the system change cycles and has been included in the LBP system design. The study shows that in spite of contending with an imperfect irrigation system design and intense competition for water resources, water resource managers and farmers are able to adapt and continue to reap benefits from a productive agricultural system.

The concept of this book arises from a symposium entitled “Human-Macaque Interactions: Traditional and Modern Perspectives on Cooperation and Conflict ” organized at the 23rd Congress of the International Primatological Society, that was held in Kyoto in September 2010. The symposium highlighted the many aspects of human-macaque relations and some of the participants were invited to contribute to this volume. The volume will include about 11 chapters by a variety of international authors and some excerpts from published literature that illustrate cultural notions of macaques. Contributions from invited authors will engage with four main perspectives – traditional views of macaques, cooperative relationships between humans and macaques, current scenarios of human-macaque conflict, and how living with and beside humans has affected macaques. Authors will address these concerns through their research findings and reviews of their work on the Asian, and the lone African, macaques. ​