Water and Development - Volume I

Book excerpt: Water and Development is a component of Encyclopedia of Water Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Water is perhaps the most critical natural resource upon which humans depend. Agricultural and food production, trade and ultimately the economic development of all regions of the world depend on rivers, streams, dams, oceans and other water resources. This critical relationship has persisted through the agricultural and industrial revolution and into the era of economic globalization. The relationship between human activity and the water resources on which it depends also continues to be reciprocal. Human consumption, energy, agricultural, industrial and other economic activity have significant impacts on water quality and quantity for better or worse. A key element of sustainable development rests on our global capacity to interact with the water resources on which we depend in ways that preserve them for our use and that of future generations. The two volumes on the subject present some of the topics such as Water, Agriculture and Food Interactions, dams, water valuation, arid regions, water-management, and Conflict over Water Resources, Water and Sustainable Development: They consider the implications which contributions have in each of these areas as well as introduce additional issues relating to the future of dams, innovative ways of increasing water supply, transboundary water resources, and the implications of global climate change for water resources. These two volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students, Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, Managers, and Decision makers and NGOs