Fundamentals of Water Security: Quantity, Quality, and Equity in a Changing Climate

Enables Students and Practitioners to Understand How to Manage Water Resources to Equitably Meet Both Human and Ecological Needs

Burgeoning populations and the ever-higher standards of living for those in emerging countries increase the demand on our water resources. What is not increasing, however, is the supply of water and the total amount of water in earth's biosphere--water that is integral to all standards of living. Fundamentals of Water Security provides a foundation for understanding and managing the quantity-quality-society nexus of water security.

In a broad sense, the work explores solutions to water security challenges around the world. It is richly illustrated and pedagogically packed with chapter learning objectives, foundation sections reviewing quantitative skills, case studies, and short vignettes of people who have made major contributions to aspects of water security. To further aid in reader comprehension, it features end-of-chapter problems--both qualitative and quantitative, with solutions available to instructors. Finally, the work includes extensive references--gathering books, journal articles, and government and NGO reports. Sample topics discussed within this comprehensive work include:

• How the study of water resources has evolved from a focus on physical availability to now include social factors such as governance
• How water security affects multiple disciplines across environmental science and engineering, hydrology, geography, water resources, atmospheric science, chemistry, biology, health science, and social and political science fields
• Analysis of water security in a more integrated manner through underscoring the complex interactions between water quantity, water quality, and society
• Analysis on how to achieve a sufficient quantity and quality of water to equitably meet both immediate and long-term human and ecological needs

Students taking courses on hydrology, water security, and/or water resource management, along with scientists of many disciplines in fields where water security is a factor will be able to use Fundamentals of Water Security as a comprehensive textbook to understand and help solve this critical issue that is becoming more and more prevalent in societies every single year.