Water Resources: Science and Society

A scientifically rigorous text grounded in socioeconomic reality that examines both physical hydrology and contemporary water usage issues.

The fair allocation and wise use of fresh water presents significant challenges across the world. To avoid unresolvable crises in the future, judiciously managing water resources in the twenty-first century is fundamentally important. Integrating the underlying science of hydrology with real-world usage scenarios, Water Resources offers a nuanced, modern treatment of contemporary water resource management issues.

In this ground-breaking new text, renowned environmental scientist and educator George M. Hornberger and award-winning environmental engineer Debra Perrone examine the role of water resources in natural, social, and human-built systems, 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 within the context of the crucial water-energy-food nexus, the text

• includes a primer on the elements of physical hydrology necessary to understand resource availability;
• covers rivers, lakes, groundwater, and soil water;
• relates water to agriculture, energy, urbanization, and the environment;
• highlights connections between water quantity and quality;
• explains the economic and legal constraints around water resources;
• considers the impacts of climate change and population growth; and
• proposes paths forward for the sustainable use of water.

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.

Positioned to become the foremost text on water resource issues, this companion to Hornberger's widely regarded Elements of Physical Hydrology reveals the enormity of the water crisis facing the planet while offering realistic hope.