Water use in agriculture plays a critical role in any discussion of water and food security, since farming activities account for around 70% of water used in the world today. Inefficient agriculture contributes to a great pollution of surface water and also to groundwater depletion with its associated consequences. Also excessive use of nutrients and pesticides are key sources of water pollution in many regions. On the one hand, sustainable management of water in agriculture is critical not only to increase agricultural production, but also to support continued economic growth in other sectors. On the other hand, agriculture faces increasing water challenges, ranging from climate change, increasing water competition from other sectors, and gradual water quality deteriorations. The objective of this book is to serve as a forum to discuss advance solutions to improve the management of agricultural water risks in developing countries.

This publication, Water Quality in Agriculture: Risks and Risk Mitigation, emphasizes technical solutions and good agricultural practices, including risk mitigation measures suitable for the contexts of differently resourced institutions working in rural as well as urban and peri-urban settings in low- and middle-income countries. With a focus on sustainability of the overall land use system, the guidelines also cover possible downstream impacts of farm-level decisions. As each country has a range of site-specific conditions related to climate, soil and water quality, crop type and variety, as well as management options, subnational adjustments to the presented guidelines are recommended. Water Quality in Agriculture: Risks and Risk Mitigation, is intended for use by national and subnational governmental authorities, farm and project managers, extension officers, consultants and engineers to evaluate water quality data, and identify potential problems and solutions related to water quality. The presented guidelines will also be of value to the scientific research community and university students.The chapters in this publication address the following topics:Chapter 2 describes the linkages between water quality and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the need for water quality monitoring. Chapter 3 provides an overview of existing water quality guidelines and standards across the world, including those reliant on technological advances and stringent water quality monitoring, and others based on health-based targets, as recommended by WHO. Chapter 4 is dedicated to pathogenic threats, in particular from domestic wastewater, while the elaborated Chapter 5 targets chemical risks with significant emphasis on salinity. The interlinkages between water quality and aquaculture and water quality and livestock production are described in Chapters 6 and 7, respectively. The importance of water quality for a healthy environment and ecology is explored in Chapter 8, and further extended to watersheds and river basin scales in Chapter 9, looking at the approaches used to analyze, monitor, and manage water quality, and possible downstream impacts in their larger geographical context. Finally, Chapter 10 provides an overview of the most common and/or significant barriers and drivers of relevance for the adoption of water reuse guidelines and best practices within a given regulatory and institutional context with special attention to low- and middle-income countries.

Water is a strategic natural resource of vital importance to all nations. As such it has been the cause of several international disputes. For Turkey especially, water is crucial to social and economic development. Turkey’s current national water regime that emphasises water resources development and management for productive uses, however, faces growing environmental concerns and international criticism regarding transboundary water cooperation. Furthermore, EU accession requires Turkey to adopt an extensive and ambitious body of EU water law. To understand Turkey’s position to international water law, the national policies and socio-economic circumstances that impact water resources management need to be considered. This book fills the existing knowledge gap through a broad perspective and analysis of the current state of Turkey’s water policy and its management of both national and transboundary waters. It is a unique undertaking that brings together Turkish and international authors, practitioners and academics, covering all aspects of water management

This book applies cost-benefit analysis techniques in the management of environment and natural resources in developing countries of the Southeast Asian region and presents a compendium of studies conducted by researchers supported by the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA). It emphasizes the close relationship between the environment and natural resources and economic development in such countries, addressing a wide range of problems that can be understood using economic evaluation techniques. General guidelines for conducting economic appraisals are provided, with the case studies illustrating how they can be applied in a developing country context. Cost-Benefit Analysis Application in Environmental and Natural Resource Management in Southeast Asia serves as essential reading for teachers, researchers, students and practitioners in environmental and natural resource economics, economic development and key issues facing policymakers in the Southeast Asian region.