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A concise but comprehensive interdisciplinary examination of global deforestation for a broad audience of scientists and policymakers.
Ecohydrology emerges as a new field of research aiming at furthering our understanding of the earth system through the study of the interactions between the water cycle and vegetation. By combining the analysis of biotic and abiotic components of terrestrial ecosystems, this volume provides a synthesis of material on arid and semiarid landscapes, which is currently spread in a number of books and journal articles. The focus on water-limited ecosystems is motivated by their high sensitivity to daily, seasonal, and decadal perturbations in water availability, and by the ecologic, climatic, and economic significance of most of the drylands around the world. Conceived as a tool for scientists wo...
The most cogent textbook ever produced on the topic, this revised and expanded edition will be welcomed by students and professionals alike. Among the many diverse aspects of environmental science, none is more critical to the future of society and nature than water. Understanding the role of water on Earth and making good decisions regarding water conservation and hydrological hazards depends on learning the fundamentals of physical hydrology. This textbook, now in an expanded second edition, provides the clearest opportunity for students to absorb those fundamentals. Written at an introductory level, Elements of Physical Hydrology covers virtually every aspect of this subject, including: â...
Randomness is ubiquitous in nature. Random drivers are generally considered a source of disorder in environmental systems. However, the interaction between noise and nonlinear dynamics may lead to the emergence of a number of ordered behaviors (in time and space) that would not exist in the absence of noise. This counterintuitive effect of randomness may play a crucial role in environmental processes. For example, seemingly "random" background events in the atmosphere can grow into larger instabilities that have great effects on weather patterns. This book presents the basics of the theory of stochastic calculus and its application to the study of noise-induced phenomena in environmental systems. It will be an invaluable reference text for ecologists, geoscientists, and environmental engineers interested in the study of stochastic environmental dynamics.
Complex water problems cannot be resolved by numbers or narratives. Contingent and negotiated approaches are necessary for actionable outcome. In the face of a constantly changing array of interconnected water issues that cross multiple boundaries, the challenge is how to translate solutions that emerge from science and technology into the context of real-world policy and politics. Water Diplomacy in Action addresses this task by synthesizing two emerging ideas––complexity science and negotiation theory––to understand and manage risks and opportunities for an uncertain water future. Rooted in the ideas of complexity science and mutual gains negotiation, this edited volume shows why traditional systems engineering approaches may not work for complex problems, what emerging tools and techniques are needed and how these are used to resolve complex water problems.
"This book explores how and why controversies over liquid biofuels (bioethanol and biodiesel) and hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") unfolded in surprisingly similar ways in the global North and South. In the early 2000s, the search was on for fuels that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, spur economic development in rural regions, and diversify national energy supplies. Biofuels and fracking took centre stage as promising commodities and technologies. But controversy quickly erupted. Global enthusiasm for these fuels, and the widespread projections for their production around the world, collided with local politics. Rural and remote places, such as coastal east Africa and Canada's Yukon ...
A radical new approach to tackling the growing threat of water scarcity Water is essential to life, yet humankind’s relationship with water is complex. For millennia, we have perceived it as abundant and easily accessible. But water shortages are fast becoming a persistent reality for all nations, rich and poor. With demand outstripping supply, a global water crisis is imminent. In this trenchant critique of current water policies and practices, Edward Barbier argues that our water crisis is as much a failure of water management as it is a result of scarcity. Outdated governance structures and institutions, combined with continual underpricing, have perpetuated the overuse and undervaluation of water and disincentivized much-needed technological innovation. As a result “water grabbing” is on the rise, and cooperation to resolve these disputes is increasingly fraught. Barbier draws on evidence from countries across the globe to show the scale of the problem, and outlines the policy and management solutions needed to avert this crisis.
"In a refreshing perspective on water that transcends zero-sum thinking, the author of the groundbreaking Cows Save the Planet, sharing stories from around the globe, offers real-world solutions to today's water crisis, "--NoveList.
Madison Powers addresses a cluster of causally intertwined ecological crises that threaten our ability to maintain a livable planet, which deplete natural resources, degrade the environment, and destabilize planetary systems. He explains how a targeted human rights approach can counteract global economic conditions that cause or exacerbate these crises. These human rights protect ecological conditions that sustain human life and make possible the satisfaction of basic needs, and they give right-holders more control over their ecological futures. These rights are strategically important for combatting ecologically unsustainable, economically predatory market practices, especially those involving the acquisition, control, and use of land, energy, and water resources.