Water, Ecosystems and Society

This book is an articulation of the much needed paradigm shift in the knowledge base for water systems management. It discusses the ecological and socio-economic dimensions of water, inclusion of which in sustainable and integrated water systems management has become essential the world over. It is path-breaking in terms of its conceptualisation since water management in India has traditionally been associated with the domain of engineering which tries to increase the quantity of water, to cater to increasing needs of human settlements and demands from irrigation and industry. This work, however, conceives water management as an interdisciplinary subject which needs to be understood not in terms of engineering alone, but in terms of its economic, sociological and, of course, ecological dimensions. Water, Ecosystems and Society: A Confluence of Disciplines is an excellent guide to interdisciplinary knowledge on water. It draws attention to ecological benefits of floods, economic productivity of water systems and the feasibility of the proposed river-link project of India. It focuses on the need to recognise ecosystem services provided by rivers as well as the necessity of environmental flows in such a system. The book deals with emerging areas of research, by connecting ecology, economics and water management. It will be a compelling read for academicians and students working in the fields of geography and environment science, development economics, environmental sociology, ecology, integrated water management, and so on.