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The Water Book
by Alok JhaWater is the most every day of substances. It pours from our taps and falls from the sky. We drink it, wash with it, and couldn't live without it. Yet, on closer examination it is also a very strange substance (it is one of only a very small number of molecules which expand when cooled). Look closer again and water reveals itself as a key to a scientific story on the biggest of canvases.Water is crucial to our survival - life depends on it - but it was also fundamental in the origins of life on Earth. The millions of gallons of water which make up our rivers, lakes and oceans, originated in outer space. How it arrived here and how those molecules of water were formed, is a story which takes us back to the beginning of the universe. Indeed, we know more about the depths of space than we do about the furthest reaches of the oceans.Water has also shaped the world we live in. Whether it is by gently carving the Grand Canyon over millennia, or in shaping how civilisations were built; we have settled our cities along rivers and coasts. Scientific studies show how we feel calmer and more relaxed when next to water. We holiday by the seas and lakes. Yet one day soon wars may be fought over access to water.The Water Book will change the way you look at water. After reading it you will be able to hold a glass of water up to the light and see within it a strange molecule that connects you to the origins of life, the birth (and death) of the universe, and to everyone who ever lived.
Water-Carbon Dynamics in Eastern Siberia (Ecological Studies #236)
by Takeshi Ohta Tetsuya Hiyama Yoshihiro Iijima Ayumi Kotani Trofim C. MaximovThis book discusses the water and carbon cycle system in the permafrost region of eastern Siberia, Providing vitalin sights into how climate change has affected the permafrost environment in recent decades. It analyzes the relationships between precipitation and evapotranspiration, gross primary production and runoff in the permafrost regions, which differ from those intropical and temperate forests. Eastern Siberia is located in the easternmost part of the Eurasian continent, and the land surface with underlying permafrost has developed over a period of seventy thousand years. The permafrost ecosystem has specific hydrological and meteorological characteristics in terms of the water and carbon dynamics, and the current global warming and resulting changes in the permafrost environment are serious issues in the high-latitude regions. The book is a valuable resource for students, researchers and professionals interested in forest meteorology and hydrology, forest ecology, and boreal vegetation, as well as the impact of climate change and water-carbon cycles in permafrost and non-permafrost regions.
Water Challenges in Rural and Urban Sub-Saharan Africa and their Management (SpringerBriefs in Water Science and Technology)
by Joan Nyika Megersa Olumana DinkaSub-Saharan Africa grapples with many public health issues such as food insecurity, increased prevalence of infectious diseases, limited access to clean water supply, poor nutrition and lack of improved health services for its populace (IMF, 2021). Of all these challenges, the inaccessibility of clean water supply for both the rural and urban populace is the most pressing challenge, which has been exacerbated by extensive pollution and climate change crises. The issue of water access and supply affects both rural and urban populations. At rural areas water is accessed in yard taps and in arid regions through water kiosks managed by private owners. Among the urban poor, water access is compromised by poor supply infrastructure especially among informal settlers and risks such as contamination during the supply chain are imminent This book therefore seeks to close this knowledge gap by 1) generating a water resources inventory for Sub-Saharan Africa region, 2) exploring the water crises in both its urban and rural settings, 3) understanding the causatives of the crises and 4) suggesting viable solutions to manage the water challenges using named case studies. The aim is to improve understanding on the region’s water problems and advise scholars and policymakers on priority research areas and action plans to better water management for sustainable development.
Water Chemistry: Green Science and Technology of Nature's Most Renewable Resource
by Stanley E. ManahanCarefully crafted to provide a comprehensive overview of the chemistry of water in the environment, Water Chemistry: Green Science and Technology of Nature's Most Renewable Resource examines water issues within the broad framework of sustainability, an issue of increasing importance as the demands of Earth's human population threaten to overwhelm t
The Water, Climate, and Food Nexus: Linkages, Challenges and Emerging Solutions
by Mohamed Behnassi Abdulmalek A. Al-Shaikh Ameenah Gurib-Fakim Mirza Barjees Baig Mohammed BahirThis contributed book, as a part of a series of CERES publications, provides a multi-regional and cross-sectoral analysis of the interlinkages, challenges, and emerging responses in the areas of water security, climate change, and food systems, especially in a context marked by severe implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased climate vulnerability of many regions already water stressed, and an ambitious global action aiming at curbing climate change and restoring ecosystem. In the first set of chapters, the water, food, and environmental/climate security nexus is explored theoretically and by reference to empirical research covering many regions and sectors. In another set of chapters, the impacts of climate change on water resources and water-stressed regions are identified along with their implications for food systems and security. Other chapters of the volume identify the emerging solutions to the nexus challenges, mainly adaptation and mitigation options, governance and management approaches, technological and economic solutions, innovative farming and water management practices, etc. Most chapters scheduled for publication address timely and future-oriented topics, are based on empirical research particularly done in water-constrained and climate vulnerable countries from Asia, Africa, and the MENA region, and provide policy-oriented inputs and recommendations to guide change processes at multiple scales.
Water Conservation, Recycling and Reuse: Issues and Challenges
by Rajeev Pratap Singh Alan S. Kolok Shannon L. Bartelt-HuntWater - a basic element of life, livelihood, food security and sustainable development - holds the key to global sustainability. The global water demand has been increased 3-fold in the past five decades and only 0.4% of the total world’s fresh water resources is available and accessible for use. The United Nations projected that half of all countries will face water scarcity by 2025 and more than one-third of the world’s population could be affected by water stress by 2050. The water problem is rapidly intensifying in the Asian region, and around 700 million people do not have access to safe drinking water. Similarly, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, by 2050, more than one billion people in Asia alone are projected to experience negative impacts on water resources as a result of climate change. Climate change is also putting extra pressure on and adversely affecting the global water cycle, leading to irregular precipitation, more floods and droughts and creating an imbalance between water supply and demand. The availability of safe water is a major global concern due to the rapidly increasing population, urbanization, unsustainable consumption patterns, and rapid shifts in land use. It is believed that reduced access to freshwater will have cascading consequences that will pose threat to global food security, livelihood security, and cause large scale migration and economic and geopolitical tensions. As such, strategies for water conservation, wastewater reuse and recycling should be adopted in order to lessen the gap between supply and demand for water for different activities. This book provides readers with a better understanding of the water security challenges, and presents innovations to address these challenges, strengthen the science-policy interface, and develop institutional and human capacities for water security and sustainability.
Water-Conservation Traits to Increase Crop Yields in Water-deficit Environments
by Thomas R. SinclairThis volume explores specific approaches that have shown to result in crop yield increases. Research on the physiological understanding of these methods has led to the development of practical applications of plant breeding approaches to genetically improve crops to achieve higher yields. Authoritative entries from crop scientists shed new light on two water-conservation traits: one that is based on an initiation of the decrease in transpiration earlier in the soil drying cycle, and the second that is based on a sensitivity of transpiration rate under high atmospheric vapor pressure deficit that results in partial stomatal closure. Both these approaches involve partial stomatal closure under well-defined situations to decrease the rate of soil water loss. Readers will be able to analyze the circumstances under which a benefit is achieved as a result of the water-limitation trait; and key discussion points in the case studies presented will help answer questions such as what species, which environments, how often will yield be benefited for various crop species? Contributions also review the genetic variation for these two traits within each crop species and the physiological basis for the expression of these traits.
Water Contamination and Health: Integration of Exposure Assessment, Toxicology, and Risk Assessment (Environmental Science And Pollution Ser. #9)
by Rhoda G.M. WangThis volume examines every potential means of exposure to water contaminants, provides in-depth discussions on toxicology, and explains up-to-date techniques for evaluating human health risk. It develops a methodology for assessing the cumulative absorbed dose of contaminants through all routes of exposure, including ingestion, inhalation and dermal. Federal and state efforts to monitor and treat water are examined.
Water Content Estimation and Control of PEM Fuel Cell Stack and the Individual Cell in Vehicle (Springer Theses)
by Po HongThis book focuses on water content estimation and control of the PEM fuel cell stack and the individual cell in vehicle. Firstly, the mathematical connection between polarization curve and equivalent circuit model proves importance of MEA and its feasibility to study water content. Optimizing structure of MEA realizes the internal water content recirculation of a fuel cell and improves its performance under middle or lower current density. The influence of water content on performance of MEA is quantified, and variation of equivalent circuit model is an excellent indicator of water content. Secondly, the comprehensive online AC impedance measurement method is put forward, including current excitation method, weak voltage and current signal processing method, and method for analyzing measurement error, and experiment validates measurement accuracy. The high-frequency impedance and statistical characteristic are proposed as indicator of water content. Finally, the dynamic model of the air supply system of a fuel cell engine is established and the closed-loop control of the air supply system and the water content estimation are decoupled. The experiment on a fuel cell system validates the proposed method for searching optimized operating conditions and the water management strategy.
Water Crises and Sustainable Management in the Global South
by Sylvester Chibueze Izah Matthew Chidozie Ogwu Hossein Hamidifar Athanasios LoukasThis book is a reference material on how to sustainably manage water crises. The causes and effects of water crises under different regions in the Global South are explored in this book. Approaches for the sustainable management of water crises are also highlighted in the book, especially in the Global South, where the level of technologies available for sustainable management of water are limited. Water crisis is a global problem but with disproportionate higher consequences in the lobal South. About 25% of the global population resides in water-stressed countries, and about 10% of the world population lives in areas with high water vulnerability. Furthermore, many millions of people across the globe lack access to potable water supplies. As such, many people could be displaced by water crises or scarcity shortly. The effects of the water crisis on the environment include increased salinity, nutrient pollution, the loss of floodplains, the drying ofriverbeds, the loss of habitat, wetlands disappearing, and ecosystem loss. On the human level, it could lead to disease outbreaks, drought, famine, and death. This may have more severe effects in countries in the Global South as compared to nations in the Global North. This is because the water cycle is very intense in Asia and Africa, which are important areas in the Global South. This book is of interest and useful to aquatic toxicologists, water quality experts, practitioners, trainees, and trainers, environmentalists, biological sciences scientists, academics, researchers, students (especially undergraduates and postgraduates), libraries, and other public knowledge repositories interested in novel and advanced practices in sustainable water management.
Water, Cryosphere, and Climate Change in the Himalayas: A Geospatial Approach (Geography of the Physical Environment)
by Ajay Kumar Taloor Bahadur Singh Kotlia Kireet KumarThis edited book summarizes numerous research studies on remote sensing and GIS of natural resource management for the Himalaya region done by Indian Institutions and Universities over the last decade. It gives an overview of hydrometeorological studies on Himalayan water resources and addresses concerns in the development of water resources in this region, which is dealing with an increased pressure in population, industrialization and economic development. While the source of some of the major rivers of India are found in the Himalayas, the glaciers and water bodies in the region are continuously shrinking leading to a depletion of water and deterioration of water quality. This is affecting a population of up to 2.5 billion people. The ecosystems have been under threat due to deforestation, loss of biodiversity, expansion of agriculture and settlement, overexploitation of natural resources, habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, mining, construction of roads and large dams, and unplanned tourism. Spaceborne remote sensing with its ability to provide synoptic and repetitive coverage has emerged as a powerful tool for assessment and monitoring of the Himalayan resources and phenomena. This work serves as a resource to students, researchers, scientists, professionals, and policy makers both in India and on a global level.
Water Crystal Healing: Music and Images to Restore Your Well-Being
by Masaru EmotoFor centuries, people have turned to classical music for its calming and relaxing effects. Internationally acclaimed water researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto has discovered why certain music has healing benefits: Music with the appropriate rhythm, tempo, tone, and melody can correct distorted frequencies within our cells, assisting our health and healing. Here, you can enjoy Dr. Emoto's captivating water-crystal photographs and text in this unique collection. The possible benefits you may experience include decreased joint and back pain; improved function of the nervous, circulatory, lymphatic, and immune systems; and the release of negative emotions such as anxiety, self-pity, and depression. The combination of images and words in Water Crystal Healing concentrates consciousness as never before, providing a unique experience for healing.
Water Demand for Steam Electric Generation (Routledge Revivals)
by Paul H. Cootner George O. LofIn this book, first published in 1965, the authors identify the technological opportunities and costs of water recirculation and water quality adjustment in thermal plants, relating them to the possibilities for minimal expenditure and maximum efficiency in the use of water for servicing an entire region with thermal power. Water Demand for Steam Electric Generation will be of interest to students of environmental studies.
Water Distribution System Monitoring: A Practical Approach for Evaluating Drinking Water Quality, Second Edition
by Abigail F. CantorUpdated throughout for this new edition, Water Distribution System Monitoring describes the latest water quality monitoring approaches, techniques, and equipment that will assist water utilities for compliance with the "Lead and Copper Rule" as well as address numerous other water quality issues. Water quality data are obtained using the appro
Water Distribution System Operation and Maintenance, 6th Edition
by Office of Water Programs Kenneth D. KerriThis textbook is designed to train operators to safely and effectively operate and maintain water distribution systems.
Water: Economics, Management and Demand
by Melvyn Kay Tom Franks Laurence SmithWater is often seen as a free commodity. However, this is rarely the case as demand for water is increasing significantly across the world. This book focuses on the key roles of irrigaiton and drainage in the debate on water. Irrigation is a major player in the demand for water and already accounts for between 70-80% of the total world consumption.
Water Ecosystem Services: A Global Perspective (International Hydrology Series)
by Julia Martin-Ortega Robert C. Ferrier Iain J. Gordon Shahbaz KhanThis comprehensive volume describes how ecosystem services-based approaches can assist in addressing major global and regional water challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and water security in the developing world, by integrating scientific knowledge from different disciplines, such as hydrological modelling, environmental economics, psychology and international law. Empirical assessments at the national, catchment and regional levels are used to critically appraise this systemic approach, and the merits and potential limitations are presented. The practicalities of this approach with regard to water resources management, nature conservation, and sustainable business practices are discussed, and the role of society in underpinning the concept of ecosystem services is explored. Presenting new insights and perspectives on how to shape future strategies, this contributory volume is a valuable reference for researchers, academics, students and policy makers, in environmental studies, hydrology, water resource management, ecology, environmental law, policy and economics, and conservation biology. Provides a practical definition of ecosystem services-based approaches for both researchers and practitioners. Provides a definitive reference for future research and the implementation of ecosystem services-based approaches within the water sector and beyond. Discusses new and unexplored dimensions to the ecosystem services field, such as human rights, thereby enhancing the concept for both research and practice. Brings together knowledge across a range of disciplines and is suitable for a broad audience.
Water Electrolysis for Hydrogen Production
by Pasquale CavaliereThis book provides a detailed description of hydrogen production through water electrolysis. It starts with the theoretical description of the chemical, thermodynamic, and kinetic issues related to the electrolysis of water. The main available technologies and the ones under development are detailed from a technical and a scientific point of view. At the end of the book Dr. Cavaliere describes the main hydrogen applications and their contribution to the grand energy transition that is expected by the middle of the century. The book also examines the economic issues related to the transition toward the hydrogen society.
The Water Encyclopedia: Hydrologic Data and Internet Resources
by Pedro Fierro Jr. Evan K. Nyer�Just do an Internet search.� �It's on the Internet� These phrases have quickly become a part of the vernacular. The quintessential book of data relating to water, The Water Encyclopedia: Hydrologic Data and Internet Resources, Third Edition arose from the premise that most of the information provided within this publication could be easily
Water, Energy and Food Nexus in the Context of Strategies for Climate Change Mitigation (Climate Change Management)
by Walter Leal Filho José Baltazar Salgueirinho de Andrade GuerraThis book focuses on climate change and sustainable development, showcasing examples of research, projects and other initiatives aimed at educating various target groups. Helping readers gain a better understanding of the water, energy and food nexus challenges in the context of climate change, and featuring valuable insights that can be implemented in other areas, it will appeal to researchers and students as well as practitioners.
The Water, Energy, and Food Security Nexus in Asia and the Pacific: Central and South Asia (Water Security in a New World)
by Benno Böer Zafar AdeelThis open access book considers that the Central and South Asian region sits at the middle of geographical, geopolitical, economic and historical cross-roads. Since the independence of the Central Asian states in the 1990s, following the demise of the Soviet Union, and emergence of regional trade and political ties means that the region’s evolution has also been subject to common drivers – external and internal, opening up some new opportunities. The long-term social and economic success of the region depends on how water, energy, and food security is achieved at a regional scale that combines Central Asia and South Asia, which are typically treated separately in policy and scholarly works. This book considers how securing the “Nexus” of water, energy, and food resources serves as a starting point for utilizing emerging region-wide opportunities. It does so by identifying the present state of play, deeply analyzing cross-cutting drivers (e.g., climate change, poverty, environmentalcrises and urbanization) and offering insights into possible solutions.The book offers an in-depth rationale for why dealing with this region as a whole makes sense; it is then divided into four sections: The first section, entitled “A Regional Overview,” establishes the basic facts around the state of water, energy, and food resources; this section is meant to serve as the foundation upon which further exploration and analysis is built. The second section turns its attention to “Regional Issues” and unpacks the Nexus into water–energy and water–food relationships. It also investigates how regional trade and coping mechanisms for environmental crises might inform the policies on the Nexus. The section includes a sampling of success and failure stories around implementation of the Nexus policies and strategies in the Central and South Asian region. The third section undertakes an analysis of the “Cross-Cutting Themes for Nexus Security” by investigating all the major drivers of policy and development strategies in the region: climate change, urbanization, poverty, sharing of resources across borders, and gender-based disparities. The fourth and final section uses the discussion throughout the book to formulate “An Integrated Narrative” around the Nexus. It explores how the new global development framework in the form of Sustainable Development Goals might offer a new perspective for achieving the Nexus security in the region. There is an argument that the Nexus security ties in with achievement of long-term peace and security. A final wrap-up chapter gazes into the crystal ball to test out some future scenarios – both positive and negative.
The Water, Energy, and Food Security Nexus in Asia and the Pacific: The Pacific (Water Security in a New World)
by Andrew Dansie Heidi K. Alleway Benno BöerThis open access book considers the water, energy, food (WEF) nexus in the Pacific region. The region comprises seventeen sovereign countries and seven territories spread across the Pacific Ocean, a blue expanse that covers a fifth of the world’s surface area but contains only 0.5% of the population—or 44.5 million people. The uniqueness of the Pacific and the need for a Pasifika-led approach to sustainability across environmental, societal and economical spheres requires this blue continent to be considered in a separate volume under the ‘Water Security in a New World’ series.This Pacific volume is focussed on water, energy and food security in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) and the challenges produced by the impacts of anthropogenic climate change and human population pressures. The diversity of culture, traditional knowledge and ways of life across the Pacific are united by similar geographies and opportunities to apply a ‘Pacific specific’ WEF nexus approach; a coordinated approach to manage water, energy and food that is centred on active decision making across the three sectors to increase the security of each. Importantly, a WEF nexus approach builds on national and international efforts to date in the Pacific which include Integrated Water Resource Management, Ridge to Reef, Source to Sea, UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, Integrated Coastal Zone Management and other similar approaches.In this book, contributions by authors from governments, regional bodies, multilateral agencies, and academia describe water security and its intersectionality with both the energy and food sectors, highlighting the significance of both land and marine food systems and connectivity between water and energy in a Pacific-focussed context. It is demonstrated that these systems cannot be separated from the challenges associated with healthy environments and functioning ecological services, transport, and waste that are unique to this vast archipelagic region. To achieve meaningful change, it is essential that solutions are cognizant of the world’s colonial past and the global inequalities that persist today. The path forward for water and food systems is one that is Pasifika-led and builds on traditional knowledge and local capacity. National energy demands must consider the future with solutions comprising both WEF-integrated approaches and new energy technologies to hasten the transition away from fossil fuels. Globally, major greenhouse gas emitters both past and present need to step up for the environmental and economic benefit of all by rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting Pasifika leadership on highly ambitious net zero goals.This book is a highly recommended source of information and inspiration for policy makers, decision makers, research communities and practitioners dealing with any aspect of water, energy, or food security in the Pacific.
The Water, Energy, and Food Security Nexus in Asia and the Pacific: East and Southeast Asia (Water Security in a New World)
by Eunhee Lee Benno Böer Lawrence Surendra Jong Ahn Chun Makoto TaniguchiThis Open Access book undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the water, energy, and food (WEF) security nexus with a regional focus on East and Southeast Asia. Individual chapters of this book provide interesting nexus dimensions of the region and explore socioeconomic implications of the nexus approach with a special focus on the cross-cutting issues, including climate change, gender, and trans-boundary cooperation. It also discusses innovative approaches, advanced nexus solutions, and various future scenarios. Finally, it suggests that an improved nexus understanding based on scientific evidence is a key element to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With explosive population growth and economic development, countries in East and Southeast Asia are witnessing competitive consumption of WEF resources across various sectors and across borders. The diverse range of geographical, political, and economic conditions combined with climatechange and urbanization is posing a new set of challenges in the region. The long-term security of WEF, therefore, would need an integrated nexus approach through an enhanced understanding how the interactions between WEF resources are shaped by environmental, economic, social, and political changes in the region. This book is a highly recommended source of information and inspiration for policy makers, research communities and practitioners dealing with any aspect of water, energy, and food security in East and Southeast Asia.