Water Resources

In this new textbook, the role of water resources in natural, social, and human-built systems is examined, helping students understand and evaluate the complex tradeoffs required to achieve sustainable water management. Providing a much-needed educational tool that looks at freshwater resources, the text includes a primer on the elements of physical hydrology necessary to understand resource availability; relates water to agriculture, energy, the environment, and urbanization; highlights connections between water quantity and quality; explains the economic and legal constraints round water resources; considers the impacts of climate change and population growth; and proposes paths forward for the sustainable use of water.
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Teaching basic methods used to make informed water management decisions, the book includes illustrative quantitative calculations, qualitative think-pieces, and case studies. An appendix provides a review of units, dimensions, and conversions useful for addressing each chapter's example problems. Online answer keys are also available.