- English
Most parts of the world are facing escalating difficulties in meeting the growing demand for freshwater, while at the same time they are confronted by a deteriorating supply of this precious resource. Decisions and attitudes concerning human development, institutional frameworks, water and wastewater infrastructure, and other technological issues-given economic and social constraints and environmental and social imperatives-present challenges with no simple answers. The water issue involves much more than just irrigation, hydropower, the environment, water supply, and sanitation. Besides science and engineering, it encompasses political, social, environmental, economic, and institutional dimensions. Therefore, more of a focus is needed on the multidisciplinary and integrated nature of the water sector, and freshwater should be considered in closer connection to these many dimensions for more effective policymaking. In order to do so, comparative, cross-sectoral work is essential. Coping with these interdisciplinary issues and the accompanying uncertainty and complexity presents methodological challenges. This paper discusses major freshwater-related challenges such as availability and vulnerability, water quality and groundwater impacts on various scales, extremes, and shared water resource issues. Also, driving forces such as economic underdevelopment, poverty, low human development, food insecurity, unbalanced globalization, and others are analyzed. Some of the important tools of integrated and sustainable policies are discussed, and recommendations are made from the perspective of recent international agreements, with a focus on opportunities as well as the many shortcomings and barriers involved.
Remarks:
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=445
Full text is available on EBSCOhost database: http://www.ebscohost.com/
- English
