Rivers for Life: Managing Water For People And Nature

Book Description

"...a clarion call to society for the need to balance human demands with the needs of our world's rivers, the arterial system of life on this planet. The authors describe the vanguard movement to restore rivers and to reconnect rivers with their flood plains, portraying the under-appreciated life support services our rivers perform, their ecological function, and the threats to riverine ecosystems." -MIKE DOMBECK, CHIEF EMERITUS OF THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE AND PIONEER PROFESSOR OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-STEVENS POINT

"Finally! A book that pays attention to flow, not just pollutants, as central to river restoration. Blending science and readability, Rivers for Life offers refreshing insights into allocating limited water to meet the needs of humans and rivers." -JAMES R. KARR, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE

The conventional approach to river protection has focused on water quality and maintaining some "minimum" flow that was thought necessary to ensure the viability of a river. In recent years, however, scientific research has underscored the idea that the ecological health of a river system depends not on a minimum amount of water at any one time but on the naturally variable quantity and timing of flows throughout the year.

In Rivers for Life, leading water experts Sandra Postel and Brian Richter explain why restoring and preserving more natural river flows are key to sustaining freshwater biodiversity and healthy river systems, and describe innovative policies, scientific approaches, and management reforms for achieving those goals. Sandra Postel and Brian Richter: explain the value of healthy rivers to human and ecosystem health; describe the ecological processes that support river ecosystems and how they have been disrupted by dams, diversions, and other alterations; consider the scientific basis for determining how much water a river needs; examine new management paradigms focused on restoring flow patterns and sustaining ecological health; assess the policy options available for managing rivers and other freshwater systems; explore building blocks for better river governance

Sandra Postel and Brian Richter offer case studies of river management from the United States (the San Pedro, Green, and Missouri), Australia (the Brisbane), and South Africa (the Sabie), along with numerous examples of new and innovative policy approaches that are being implemented in those and other countries.

Rivers for Life presents a global perspective on the challenges of managing water for people and nature, with a concise yet comprehensive overview of the relevant science, policy, and management issues. It presents exciting and inspirational information for anyone concerned with water policy, planning and management, river conservation, freshwater biodiversity, or related topics.

Customer Reviews:

A Gentle Warrior.......2005-10-26

Sandra Postel writes in a clear and lyrical style which is entertaining to read. Her content is not overly technical nor is it patronisingly simplistic. Postel has a pleasing habit of rejecting jargon and buzz phrases.

I found her assertions, research and conclusions to be creditable. I enjoyed the breadth of the discussion.
She is not strident nor angry in her criticism of individuals or corporations, rather she lets good science do her talking.

Postel enjoys a wide audience and is often represented in university reading lists. She is one of the more enjoyable reads to be found there.

a wisdom runs through it.......2004-03-13

This book, like previous works by Sandra Postel, is a clarion warning call about the dangers in how we have been managing our waters. The message from this book that is of particular importance, is that truly successful, and therefore sustainable, environmental management is really just as much about managing people as it is about managing natural systems. For this reason, I have placed this important book on the reading list for my watershed management course at Harvard. And also, I am grateful that Sandra Postel agreed to write a front-end blurb for my recently published (by Green Frigate Books) book entitled Deep Immersion: The Experience of Water.

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Water, Development and the Environment
William James
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0873715225

Book Description

Water, Development and the Environment presents an impressive compilation of ideas addressing the most pressing problems facing the world today. Topics discussed include sustainable development, water scarcity, urban water pollution, water resources management, and management of landscape interventions. The authors discuss new philosophies and procedures and provide examples of the environmental impact of water development-particularly landscape changes.

Water: A Shared Responsibilty (United Nations World Water Development Report)

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Water: A Shared Responsibilty (United Nations World Water Development Report)

Manufacturer: Berghahn Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The World's Water 2006-2007: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources (World's Water)
When the Rivers Run Dry: Water--The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century
Water for People, Water for Life: The United Nations World Water Development Report
Water For Food, Water For Life: A Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture
Last Oasis: Facing Water Scarcity (The Worldwatch Environmental Alert Series)

ASIN: 1845451775

Water for Life: Water Management and Environmental Policy (Cambridge Studies in Environmental Policy)

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integrated water management

Water for Life: Water Management and Environmental Policy (Cambridge Studies in Environmental Policy)
Jr, James L. Wescoat , and Gilbert F. White
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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When the Rivers Run Dry: Water--The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century
Rivers for Life: Managing Water For People And Nature
The Great Lakes Water Wars
The World's Water 2006-2007: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources (World's Water)
Water Wars: Privatization, Pollution, and Profit

ASIN: 0521369800

Book Description

To fully analyze the relationship between water management, environmental conditions and public policy, this book reviews the development of water management and evaluates it from the perspective of the quality of the natural environment. Examples are drawn from around the world, and range from local watershed management to international river basin planning, with emphasis placed on integrative approaches. Successful water management is crucial for the proper operation of natural environmental systems and for the support of human society.

Customer Reviews:

integrated water management.......2004-03-14

This book provides a concise and catholic introduction to sane ways in which to manage water that are sustainable and respective
to the element critical for life. The many practical examples drawn from around the world perfectly augment the theoretical text of Wescoat and White. Of particular interest are those examples that focus on India and other developing nations. I plan to place this text on the reading list for my watershed management course at Harvard next year. And for all these reasons I am grateful that Jim Wescoat agreed to write one of the front-end review blurbs for my recently published book Deep Immersion: The Experience of Water.

Governing Water: Contentious Transnational Politics and Global Institution Building (Global Environmental Accord: Strategies for Sustainability and Institutional Innovation)

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Governing Water: Contentious Transnational Politics and Global Institution Building (Global Environmental Accord: Strategies for Sustainability and Institutional Innovation)
Ken Conca
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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When the Rivers Run Dry: Water--The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century
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Swimming Upstream: Collaborative Approaches to Watershed Management (American and Comparative Environmental Policy)
Water Resource Economics: The Analysis of Scarcity, Policies, and Projects

ASIN: 0262532735

Book Description

Water is a key component of critical ecosystems, a marketable commodity, a foundation of local communities and cultures, and a powerful means of social control. It has become a source of contentious politics and social controversy on a global scale, and the management of water conflicts is one of the biggest challenges in the effort to achieve effective global environmental governance.

In Governing Water, Ken Conca examines political struggles to create a global framework for the governance of water. Threats to the world's rivers, watersheds, and critical freshwater ecosystems have resisted the establishment of effective global agreements through intergovernmental bargaining because the conditions for successful interstate cooperation -- effective state authority, stable knowledge frameworks, and a territorialized understanding of nature -- cannot be imposed upon water controversies. But while interstate water diplomacy has faltered, less formalized institutions -- socially and politically embedded rules, roles, and practices -- have emerged to help shape water governance locally and globally.

Conca examines the politics of these institutions, presenting a framework for understanding global environmental governance based on key institutional presumptions about territoriality, authority, and knowledge. He maps four distinct processes of institution building: formal international regimes for shared rivers; international networking among water experts and professionals; social movements opposing the construction of large dams; and the struggle surrounding transnational water "marketization." These cases illustrate the potential for alternative institutional forms in situations where traditional interstate regimes are ineffective.

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Would definitely buy again

Water Resources Planning (3rd Edition)
Andrew A. Dzurik
Manufacturer: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover