Aquatic habitats supply a wide range of vital ecosystem benefits to cities and their inhabitants. The unsustainable use of aquatic habitats, including inadequate urban water management itself, however, tends to alter and reduce their biodiversity and therewith diminish their ability to provide clean water, protect us from waterborne diseases and pollutants, keep urban areas safe from flooding, and support recreational ecosystem services and even the aesthetic enjoyment of our world. Aquatic Habitats in Sustainable Urban Water Management – the result of collaboration between UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme and its Man and the Biosphere Programme – aims at improving our understanding of aquatic habitats, related ecosystem goods and services, and conservation and sustainable use – with a special focus on their integration into urban water management. The first part of this volume reviews basic concepts and challenges in urban aquatic habitats, as well as strategies for their management integration. The second part examines technical measures related to habitats management and rehabilitation, along with their incorporation into urban planning and their role in human health. The final part looks at current urban aquatic habitat issues and practical approaches to solving them through the lens of case studies from around the globe. Urban Water Series - UNESCO-IHP Following from the Sixth Phase of UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (2002–2007), the Urban Water Series – UNESCO-IHP addresses fundamental issues related to the role of water in cities and the effects of urbanization on the hydrological cycle and water resources. Focusing on the development of integrated approaches to sustainable urban water management, the Series should inform the work of urban water management practitioners, policy-makers and educators throughout the world.

Aquatic habitats supply a wide range of vital ecosystem benefits to cities and their inhabitants. The unsustainable use of aquatic habitats, including inadequate urban water management, however, tends to alter and reduce their biodiversity and thereby diminish their ability to provide clean water, protect humans from waterborne diseases and pollutants, keep urban areas safe from flooding, and support recreational ecosystem services and even aesthetic enjoyment. This publication aims at improving understanding of aquatic habitats, related ecosystem goods and services, and conservation and sustainable use, with a special focus on their integration into urban water management.--Publisher's description.

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 d

The international journal Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology (E&H) has been created to promote the concept of Ecohydrology, which is defined as the study of the functional interrelations between hydrology and biota at the catchment scale. Ecohydrology extends from the molecular level to catchment-scale processes and is based on three principles: • framework (hydrological principle) - quantification and integration of hydrological and ecological processes at a basin scale; • target (ecological principle) - necessity of enhancing ecosystem absorbing capacity and ecosystem services; and • management tool (ecological engineering) – the use of ecosystem properties for regulation the interplay between hydrology and biota. The journal encourages the submission of manuscripts which adopt an integrative approach to aquatic sciences, explaining ecological and hydrological processes at a river-basin scale or propose practical applications of this knowledge. It will also consider papers in other hydrobiological fields. Especially welcome are papers on regulatory mechanism within biocenosis and the resistance and resilience of freshwater and costal zones ecosystems. There is no page charge for published papers. All submitted papers, written exclusively in English, should be original works, unpublished and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. All papers are peer-reviewed. The following types of papers are considered for publication in E&H: • original research papers • invited or submitted review papers, • short communications

The protection of water resources from deterioration in quality by pollution discharges is probably the biggest challenge in sustainable water resources management in the recent decades. In practice, most countries have adopted pollution control strategies and measures which are based on ‘end-of-pipe’ solutions: wastewater treatment plants and adjustments to the regulations, including taxes for wastewater discharges (Conventional Strategy). Although this approach involves very high costs, on many occasions, this strategy has been a complete failure. The research described in this book contribute to the development of sustainable solutions for the previously outlined problem. It was based on the validation of the Three-Step Strategic Approach concept (3-SSA), which includes: 1) prevention or minimisation of waste production; 2) treatment aimed at recovery and reuse of waste components, and 3) disposal of remaining waste with stimulation of natural self-purification of the receiving water body. The study showed overall positive effects of the 3-SSA, in comparison of Conventional Strategy, on wastewater management in the Upper Basin (389 km) of the Cauca river, the second most important river in Colombia. The Cost Benefit Analysis clearly favoured the 3-SSA, generating a major impact on the river water quality at lower cost compared to the Conventional Strategy.

Integrated urban water management relies on data allowing us to analyse, understand and predict the behaviour of the individual water cycle components and their interactions. The concomitant monitoring of the complex of urban water system elements makes it possible to grasp the entirety of relations among the various components of the urban water c

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue The Challenges of Water Management and Governance in Cities that was published in Water

Water for the Environment: From Policy and Science to Implementation and Management provides a holistic view of environmental water management, offering clear links across disciplines that allow water managers to face mounting challenges. The book highlights current challenges and potential solutions, helping define the future direction for environmental water management. In addition, it includes a significant review of current literature and state of knowledge, providing a one-stop resource for environmental water managers. - Presents a multidisciplinary approach that allows water managers to make connections across related disciplines, such as hydrology, ecology, law, and economics - Links science to practice for environmental flow researchers and those that implement and manage environmental water on a daily basis - Includes case studies to demonstrate key points and address implementation issues

Communication across and integration of disciplines in the urban-water sector seems today more imperative than ever before. Water is a strategic and shrinking resource. It is probably the world's most valuable resource and clean water has even been touted as the 'next oil'. Control of water - from access to management - has always been a

Stable, safe, secure and readily available water supply is one of the key factors in ensuring a good level of the public health and a stable society. Scientific assessments show that about 80 % of diseases and one-third of the total death toll in the developing countries are caused by the low quality of the drinking water. Other countries are also suffering from water shortages and insufficient quality of the drinking water. Many rivers in Europe and in other parts of the world are significantly polluted by insufficiently treated or untreated wastewater discharge. This book is based on the discussions and papers prepared for the NATO Advanced Research Workshop that took place in Lviv, Ukraine, and addressed recent advances in water supply and wastewater treatment as a prerequisite for a safer society and environment. The contributions critically assess the existing knowledge on urban water management and provide an overview of the current water management issues, especially in the countries in transition in Central and Eastern Europe and in the Mediterranean Dialogue countries.