This book reviews the current state of knowledge on, recent advances in, and future prospects of Montenegrin river basins in the context of anthropogenic activities. Edited by three respected experts in the field, the book begins with an introduction to the specific hydrogeological conditions in Montenegro and critical reflections on the impact of hydropower projects. It then reviews the vulnerability of river ecosystems, exploring potential genotoxic effects and water quality, and explaining typology and monitoring of these aspects, and particularly highlighting mollusk assemblages and monitoring of intermittent rivers. The closing chapters focus on the impact of river flooding and discuss controversial projects aiming to find an approach mutually acceptable to all stakeholders. Given its scope, the book is an indispensable resource for scientists in academia and the water industry, as well as for decision-makers in the field investigating the interactions between land and water, limnology and biota, and natural and cultural resources.
Daniel McCool chronicles the surging grassroots movement to bring America's rivers back to life and ensure they remain pristine for future generations. This book confirms the surprising news that America's rivers are indeed returning to a healthier, free-flowing condition. Through passion and dedication, ordinary people are reclaiming the American landscape, forming a nation-wide "river republic" of concerned citizens from all backgrounds and sectors of society. McCool profiles the individuals he calls "instigators," who initiated the fight for these waterways and have succeeded in the near-impossible task of challenging and changing the status quo. He ties the history, culture, and fate of America to its rivers and presents their restoration as a microcosm mirroring American beliefs, livelihoods, and an increasing awareness of our shared environmental fate.
This volume provides essential information on the origin and evolution of Greek rivers, as well as their ecological and anthropogenic characteristics. The topics covered include geomythology, biogeography, hydrology, hydrobiology, hydrogeochemistry, geological and biogeochemical processes, anthropogenic pressures and ecological impacts, water management – both in the antiquity and today – and river restoration. The book is divided into four parts, the first of which explores the importance of rivers for ancient Greek civilization and the natural processes affecting their evolution during the Holocene. In the second part, the hydrological, hydrochemical and biological features of Greek rivers and the unique biogeographical characteristics that form the basis for their high biodiversity and endemism are highlighted, while the third part comprehensively discusses the impacts of environmental pollution on the structure and function of Greek river ecosystems. In turn, the final part describes the current socio-economic factors in Greece that are affecting established water management practices, the application of ecohydrological approaches in restoring fragmented rivers, and the lessons learned from restoring aquatic ecosystems in general as a paradigm for understanding and minimizing anthropogenic impacts on water resources, at the Mediterranean scale. Given the breadth and depth of its coverage, the book offers an invaluable source of information for researchers, students and environmental managers alike.
This volume offers up-to-date and comprehensive information on various aspects of the Nile River, which is the main source of water in Egypt. The respective chapters examine the Nile journey; the Aswan High Dam Reservoir; morphology and sediment quality of the Nile; threats to biodiversity; fish and fisheries; rain-fed agriculture, rainfall data, and fluctuations in rainfall; the impact of climate change; and hydropolitics and legal aspects. The book closes with a concise summary of the conclusions and recommendations provided in the preceding chapters, and discusses the requirements for the sustainable development of the Nile River and potential ways to transform conflicts into cooperation. Accordingly, it offers an invaluable source of information for researchers, graduate students and policymakers alike.
This is the first comprehensive book on the rivers of the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta. This volume covers all aspects of this highly populated region including land conflicts and environmental impacts such as the Indo-Bangladesh conflict over sharing of trans-boundary water. This book addresses the topic from a highly interdisciplinary perspective covering areas of geography, geology, environment, history, archaeology, sociology and politics of the Bengal region. The book appeals to a wide range of audiences from India, Bangladesh and the international community. The style of presentation makes it easily suitable for students, researchers and interested laymen.
This book reviews the unique ecosystem of the Lake Skadar/Shkodra and its basin, and discusses the latest advances made in this region to face the impact of climate change. Divided into 23 chapters, the book gathers leading expertise from various scientific and engineering communities and provides readers with extensive discussions of core issues, including the water and sediment chemistry of Lake Skadar/Shkodra and the metal pollution that is evident in plants, aquatic invertebrates and fish. Readers will discover how a sustainable science-based management approach can be applied to the Lake Skadar/Shkodra region, and will learn about the environment prospects for the region. This book is intended as an essential tool for all scientists interested in the Lake Skadar/Shkodra environment – in particular those investigating the interactions between land and water, between limnology and biota, and between natural and cultural resources.
This book traces the progress of hydrology and hydrogeology and highlights some of their key concepts and applications. Hydrology refers to the study of the movement, quality and distribution of the water on our planet as well as other celestial bodies. The three main sub-fields of hydrology are ground water hydrology also known as hydrogeology, surface water hydrology and marine hydrology. This text will provide significant information about these rapidly growing fields. It will give in-depth knowledge about the latest advances within this area and its uses in earth sciences. The book is an essential guide for both academicians and those who wish to pursue this discipline further. In this book, using case studies and examples, constant effort has been made to make the understanding of the different concepts of hydrology and hydrogeology as easy and informative as possible, for the readers.
This monograph summarizes the environmental issues concerning the channel and the floodplain of the Drava River. It describes the diverse forms of human impact (river regulation, damming and reservoirs, dredging etc.) and the environmental changes of hydrological regime, sediment transport, biodiversity etc. involved. The transboundary nature of the river is emphasized and the resulting problems are outlined. Special attention is devoted to the evolution and present condition of the floodplain (drainage pattern, oxbow lakes and their vegetation). The possible solutions to environmental problems are illustrated by a review of ongoing and planned rehabilitation measures. The book is amply illustrated with maps, cross/sections, diagrams and photographs. The international team of authors (representing all countries crossed by the Drava River: Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary) approach the topic from different aspects. Thus, the reader is provided with a comprehensive picture of this, up until now, little studied European river.
'Employing a sophisticated understanding of the interplay between states and nonstate actors, Tun Myint develops a convincing account of the evolution of governance systems for the Rhine and Mekong river basins. In the process, he not only adds to our knowledge of water management at the international level but also deepens our appreciation of the various roles that nonstate actors play in international environmental governance.' – Oran Young, University of California, Santa Barbara, US 'Comparative studies of great river systems and the politics of their regulation are rare. Far rarer still are comparisons of this historical depth, analytical sophistication, attention to local detail and to the contingencies that make breakthroughs possible. Tun Myint's study of the Rhine and Mekong will inspire and inform future studies of both river and environmental politics.' – James C. Scott, Yale University, US 'This is a must read for scholars and water governance practitioners as it addresses the underexploited role of non-state actors and local citizens in the field of international water governance. The book fills in this knowledge gap by offering an inspiring refinement of the theory of polycentricity. Evidence is found by well written and attractive in depth case studies dealing with the international clean up of the Rhine and the construction of the Pak Mun Dam in the Mekong basin.' – Carel Dieperink, Utrecht University, The Netherlands 'This superb analysis of water governance in the Rhine and Mekong river basins should be read by everyone interested in the challenges of international water management.' – Thomas Bernauer, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland This important book employs the theory of polycentricity, a system with several centres as an analytical concept to explain the multilayered international environmental governance of river basins. It introduces a new methodological framework to deconstruct and investigate the dynamics of citizens, states and non-state actors in world politics via the context of river basin governance. The methodology is tested through in-depth field-based case studies, illustrating how local citizens and industries in the Mekong and Rhine river basins participate in transnational environmental governance at both local and international levels. Tun Myint expertly presents both a methodology and theory to conceive polycentricity of world politics as a major intellectual milestone in theorizing world politics. Providing nuanced details of cases showing the challenges and feasibilities of incorporating multiple actors into a governance framework, the book provides careful analysis into the power of non-state actors. This book will prove insightful for scholars and postgraduate students in international relations, international development, global environmental governance, and international business administration. It will also prove an invaluable resource for practitioners and policymakers.
This open access book surveys the frontier of scientific river research and provides examples to guide management towards a sustainable future of riverine ecosystems. Principal structures and functions of the biogeosphere of rivers are explained; key threats are identified, and effective solutions for restoration and mitigation are provided. Rivers are among the most threatened ecosystems of the world. They increasingly suffer from pollution, water abstraction, river channelisation and damming. Fundamental knowledge of ecosystem structure and function is necessary to understand how human acitivities interfere with natural processes and which interventions are feasible to rectify this. Modern water legislation strives for sustainable water resource management and protection of important habitats and species. However, decision makers would benefit from more profound understanding of ecosystem degradation processes and of innovative methodologies and tools for efficient mitigation and restoration. The book provides best-practice examples of sustainable river management from on-site studies, European-wide analyses and case studies from other parts of the world. This book will be of interest to researchers in the field of aquatic ecology, river system functioning, conservation and restoration, to postgraduate students, to institutions involved in water management, and to water related industries.
