Arid and semi-arid regions are defined as areas where water is at its most scarce. The hydrological regime in these areas is extreme and highly variable, and they face great pressures to deliver and manage freshwater resources. However, there is no guidance on the decision support tools that are needed to underpin flood and water resource management in arid areas. UNESCO initiated the Global network for Water and Development Information for arid lands (G-WADI), and arranged a workshop of the world's leading experts to discuss these issues. This book presents chapters from contributors to the workshop, and includes case studies from the world's major arid regions to demonstrate model applications, and web links to tutorials and state of the art modelling software. This volume is a valuable reference for researchers and engineers working on the water resources of arid and semi-arid regions.

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By J. Marsalek, B. Jiménez-Cisneros, M. Karamouz, P.-A. Malmquist, J. Goldenfum and B. Choca
Urban Water Series – UNESCO Publishing / Taylor & Francis

Effective management of urban water should be based on a scientific understanding of the impact of human activity on both the urban hydrological cycle – including its processes and interactions – and the environment itself. Such anthropogenic impacts, which vary broadly in time and space, need to be quantified with respect to local climate, urban development, cultural, environmental and religious practices, and other socio-economic factors.

Urban Water Cycle Processes and Interactions represents the fruit of a project by UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme on this topic. The volume begins by introducing the urban water cycle concept and the need for integrated or total management. It then explores in detail the manifold hydrological components of the cycle, the diverse elements of urban infrastructure and water services, and the various effects of urbanization on the environment – from the atmosphere and surface waters to wetlands, soils and groundwater, as well as biodiversity. A concluding series of recommendations for effective urban water management summarize the important findings set forth here.

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By K.D.W. Nandalal and Janos J. Bogardi
Cambridge University Press/International Hydrology Series

Dynamic programming is a method of solving multi-stage problems in which decisions at one stage become the conditions governing the succeeding stages. It can be applied to the management of water reservoirs, allowing them to be operated more efficiently. This is one of the few books dedicated solely to dynamic programming techniques used in reservoir management. The dynamic programming models presented in this book have been applied to reservoir systems all over the world, helping the reader to appreciate the applicability and limits of these models. The book also includes a model for the operation of a reservoir during an emergency situation. This volume will be a valuable reference to researchers in hydrology, water resources and engineering, as well as professionals in reservoir management.

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Edited by Jaroslav Vrba and Annukka Lipponen
IHP Series on Groundwater No. 14

Identification and development of indicators has been recognized as the cornerstone of the United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR), the principal product of the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP). Collectively, the UN agencies have resolved that a longer-term horizon for indicator development is needed. This effort has generated enough evidence that data availability for UN programmes, such as WWAP and IHP, is contingent upon the willingness of Member States to contribute data and the sensitivities of the bilateral/multilateral agreements which are already in place. The dependence of indicator development on data can lead to a situation wherein data availability drives the selection of indicators, which, in turn, reinforces the collection of the same data.

The set of groundwater indicators presented in this report is a short list derived from over one hundred conceptual water-related indicators. It is expected that the 3^rd WWDR will fully utilize the set of groundwater indicators for comparing and contrasting the groundwater situation around the world.

Full publication [PDF format – 2.05 MB]

Edited by Ken W.F. Howard
Taylor & Francis / IAH Selected Papers on Hydrogeology 8

During the past three decades, urban groundwater has emerged as one of the world’s most pressing issues. Urban Groundwater – Meeting the Challenge is premised on a growing recognition that most urban groundwater problems are not uniquely associated with any particular region or hydrogeological environment, and much can be learned by understanding the successes and failures of others. It showcases the best urban groundwater papers presented at the International Geological Congress held in Florence, Italy in August 2004, and is supplemented by contributions solicited from other world experts active in urban groundwater research. Topics covered range from the urban water balance and rising groundwater levels to groundwater contamination and the role of aquifer modelling.

UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP) and the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) coordinated the preparation of this book as an IAH contribution to the implementation of the Groundwater and Urban Water Management components of the 6th phase (2002-2007) of IHP.

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By Fereidoun Ghassemi and Ian White
Cambridge University Press/International Hydrology Series

Increasing demands for irrigation, domestic and industrial water have generated a massive growth world-wide in the number of large water infrastructure projects involving the transfer of water from basins considered to have surplus water to those where the demand for water has exceeded or is expected to exceed supplies. Using the experiences of projects in Australia, Canada, China, India and the United States, this book examines case studies within the diverse geographical, climatic, economic, and policy regimes operating in these countries. It examines the water resources of Australia, the driest inhabited continent, and explores inter-basin water transfer projects in Canada, China, India and the United States, examining their benefits and impacts within these nations' contrasting economies and governance systems. This comprehensive and well-illustrated text will be of great interest to professionals and researchers in the fields of hydrology, water resources, and to those engaged in environmental science, policy and regulation.

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