The study of water resources crosses disciplinary boundaries, from geography and natural resources, to Earth sciences, environmental studies, and engineering. Since not all students come to the water-resources course with the same mathematical background, Clausen’s effective, practical presentation integrates topics related to water quantity and water quality. He emphasizes fundamental concepts throughout: the qualitative foundations of hydrology needed to understand the hydrologic cycle and water availability, as well as the physical, chemical, and biological principles underlying water quality. Important social-science issues, including water law and regulations, the economic principles of water supply and demand, and sustainable water management, contextualize the material. Abundant illustrations and purposeful examples reinforce chapter content. End-of-chapter problems provide opportunities for readers to practice the calculations needed for real-world applications.

The world faces huge challenges for water as population continues to grow, as emerging economies develop and as climate change alters the global and local water cycle. There are major questions to be answered about how we supply water in a sustainable and safe manner to fulfil our needs, while at the same time protecting vulnerable ecosystems from disaster. Water Resources: An Integrated Approach provides students with a comprehensive overview of both natural and socio-economic processes associated with water. The book contains chapters written by 20 specialist contributors, providing expert depth of coverage to topics. The text guides the reader through the topic of water starting with its unique properties and moving through environmental processes and human impacts upon them including the changing water cycle, water movement in river basins, water quality, groundwater and aquatic ecosystems. The book then covers management strategies for water resources, water treatment and re-use, and the role of water in human health before covering water economics and water conflict. The text concludes with a chapter that examines new concepts such as virtual water that help us understand current and future water resource use and availability across interconnected local and global scales. This book provides a novel interdisciplinary approach to water in a changing world, from an environmental change perspective and inter-related social, political and economic dimensions. It includes global examples from both the developing and developed world. Each chapter is supplemented with boxed case studies, end of chapter questions, and further reading, as well as a glossary of terms. The text is richly illustrated throughout with over 150 full colour diagrams and photos.