Overview

Among the most compelling environmental issues of today and tomorrow are those concerning the world's fresh water resources. Peter H. Gleick's important new volume, Water in Crisis, addresses the timely and sometimes controversial aspects of world water use. At stake are water quality, quantity, and possible future conflicts over shared international water resources. Nine essays by leading specialists from fields as diverse as hydrology, zoology, and law, among others, cover such issues as the status of developments in international water law; hydroelectric power; the possible effects of climatic change on water resources; and the state of fresh water fisheries. Particular chapters explore access to clean drinking water and sanitation; the use of water for energy and food production; the quality of rivers, lakes, and inland seas; and the condition of natural aquatic ecosystems. A joint project of the Pacific Institute and the Stockholm Environment Institute, this book is a comprehensive guide to the world's fresh water resources. Hydrologists, engineers, policy makers, professionals in the environmental sciences, as well as lay readers will find Water in Crisis a dynamic resource and information-packed reference. More than 200 tables of fresh water data supplement this important volume.

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9780195076288

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Reviews

'The work constitutes a much needed, detailed and critical assessment of the world's fresh water resources.' Librairie Lavoisier, Juin 1993, No. 324 'welcome ... book, edited by Peter Gleick, who is an expert in the field ... The book is particularly timely in that the water crisis receives all too little attention.' Norman Myers, Nature, Vol 366, ecember 1993 'invaluable reference work on world freshwater resources ... this book is intelligent, well organized, rich in data, and of lasting value for all scholars, students, and policymakers concerned with international water resource problems' James L. Wescoat, Jr. University of Colorado, Environment, May 1994 In the introductory and final chapters, the editor draws on and amplifies the other seven essays, identifying critical issues and commenting on them exceedingly well. Thus the volume should be extremely useful ... The excellent essay on agricultural irrigation identifies the several problems ... I would recommend this book with enthusiasm ... The collection of essays would be a good text for graduate students in water policy, providing them with factual background and with enlightened views on the issues. American Scientist, May/June 1994

Author Information

Peter H. Gleick is the Director of the Global Environment Program of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security. Dr. Gleick has served on the Climate and Water Panel of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and co-chaired Working Group 2 of the Advisory Group on Greenhouse Gases (AGGG), sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Dr. Gleick received a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research and Writing Fellowship in 1988 to explore the implications of global environmental changes for water and international security and currently directs programs at the Pacific Institute looking at a wide range of water resource problems and at the links between global environmental issues and international security.

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