This text is written by a number of authors from different countries and disciplines, affording the reader an invaluable and unbiased perspective on the subject of intensive groundwater development. Based on information gathered from the experience of many countries over the last decades, the text aims to present a clear discussion on the conventional hydrogeological aspects of intensive groundwater use, along with the ecological, legal, institutional, economic and social challenges. Divided into two main sections, the first group of authors put forward the positive and negative aspects of intensive groundwater use, whilst a second group provide an overview of the situation specific countries face as a consequence of this phenomenon. Fully revised and up-to-date, Groundwater Intensive Use makes a significant number of discoveries in a subject area that is topical in today's climate.

Intensive use of groundwater has resolved the demand for drinking water and, through irrigation, has contributed to the eradication of malnourishment in many developing countries. The spectacular worldwide increase in groundwater use in the last decades, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, has been a silent revolution carried out by millions of small farmers. In some instances, groundwater abstraction has caused problems of quality degradation, excessive drawdown of groundwater levels, land subsidence, reduction of spring and baseflows or degradation of groundwater-dependent ecosystems. Most of these problems could be anticipated, mitigated, or even avoided with more active water agencies, adequate regulations and users’ participation in management. Groundwater Intensive Use contains a selection of papers presented at a symposium held in December 2002 in Valencia, Spain. It constitutes a step forward in creating a greater worldwide awareness of the relevance of groundwater in water resources policy. The book presents new ideas and accounts of recent advances in technical, economic, legal, administrative and political issues. It addresses groundwater development to ecosystems sustainability, through different or complementary approaches. A wide series of case studies from North and South America, Europe, South Asia and North and Sub-Saharan Africa cover the various issues. These case studies represent countries with a wide diversity of social circumstances, from areas in which development is emerging, to communities with a long history of successful groundwater use.

Competition for Water Resources: Experiences and Management Approaches in the U.S. and Europe addresses the escalation of global issues regarding water scarcity and the necessary, cost-effective strategies that must be put in place in order to deal with escalating water crisis. The book evaluates use and competition for water resources in the U.S. and Europe, emphasizing the problems and challenges of dealing with tradeoffs in water. In addition, the book discusses water management strategies that can be used to optimize water use and allocation, mitigate water scarcity, and adapt to water scarcity. Supplementing the numerous case studies, the book includes lessons learned from applying specific strategies and approaches. This comprehensive overview and comparison of management practices across two continents is an invaluable resource for researchers, policymakers, and educators in water. - Provides a national and regional perspective through the use of country specific case study examples - Includes a comparative analysis between the U.S. and Europe, illustrating experiences in water management from two sides of the Atlantic - Covers interdisciplinary topics related to water, such as agriculture and energy

While addressing the issues of using groundwater in agriculture for irrigation in the developing world, this book discusses the problems associated with the degradation and overexploitation of using it. It explores the practiced and potential methods for its management in the context of agricultural development.

Groundwater has provided great benefits to agriculture irrigation in semi-arid OECD countries, but its intensive use beyond recharge in certain regions has depleted resources and generated significant negative environmental externalities.

Groundwater is becoming increasingly scarce while the demand for water continues to grow at a global scale. Understanding groundwater resources and their sustainable management is imperative for the future of groundwater use, conservation and protection. This revised and updated two-volume set, focused on sustainability, covers the economic values of groundwater production and use, including micro- and macroeconomic factors, groundwater markets, economic evaluation tools, climate change, transboundary issues and policy evaluation. It explores numerous applications and describes ways to evaluate the economics of groundwater use in the context of the larger ecosystem and the natural capital it provides. FEATURES OF THIS VOLUME Includes an important new chapter on groundwater sustainability management Addresses new examples of groundwater use that are applicable at both the local and international levels Provides the foundation for policy, program and project analysis for all major uses of groundwater Updates groundwater use data along with explanations of major production costs and use benefits Gives a new perspective on users’ competition for the subsurface environment Production, Use, and Sustainability of Groundwater, Second Edition, the first volume of the two-volume set Groundwater Economics, is a must-have for any professional or student who needs to understand, evaluate and manage water resources from a range of production and use perspectives affecting groundwater resource sustainability.

Groundwater is becoming increasingly scarce while the demand for water continues to grow at a global scale. Understanding groundwater resources and their sustainable management is imperative for the future of groundwater use, conservation and protection. This revised and updated two-volume set, focused on sustainability, covers the economic values of groundwater production and use, including micro- and macroeconomic factors, groundwater markets, economic evaluation tools, climate change, transboundary issues and policy evaluation. It explores numerous applications and describes ways to evaluate the economics of groundwater use in the context of the larger ecosystem and the natural capital it provides. FEATURES OF THIS VOLUME Includes an important new chapter on groundwater sustainability management Addresses new examples of groundwater use that are applicable at both the local and international levels Provides the foundation for policy, program and project analysis for all major uses of groundwater Updates groundwater use data along with explanations of major production costs and use benefits Gives a new perspective on users’ competition for the subsurface environment Production, Use, and Sustainability of Groundwater, Second Edition, the first volume of the two-volume set Groundwater Economics, is a must-have for any professional or student who needs to understand, evaluate and manage water resources from a range of production and use perspectives affecting groundwater resource sustainability.

This book from the NATO ASI on "Overexploitation and Contamination of Shared Groundwater Resources Management, (Bio)technological, and Political Approaches to Avoid Conflicts" is written by authors from different disciplines and regions of the world. The aim of the book is to contribute to the knowledge of shared groundwater resources management to avoid conflicts by considering multi-disciplinary approaches based on effective and equitable water sharing for all water users.

The hydrogeologic environment of fractured rocks represents vital natural systems, examples of which occur on every continent. This book discusses key issues, methodologies and techniques in the hydrogeology of fractured rocks, summarizing recent progress and anticipating the outcome of future investigations. Forty-four revised and updated papers w

Outlines the concept and principles of water harvesting for groundwater management for an international audience, and looks at the positives and negatives surrounding water harvesting technologies This book is the first to fully outline the concept and principles of water harvesting for groundwater management for a global audience. It offers guidance to academics, students and researchers on effective water harvesting approaches for groundwater recharge, and educates them on the risks associated with managed aquifer recharge, as well as the causes of success or failure of particular management strategies, and demand management strategies and tools. The book is helpful to water managers, administrators, and professionals, to make decisions to allocate resources; developing innovative cost-effective measures and approaches to achieve demand-supply balance. The book provides readers with an overview of the historical evolution of water harvesting for groundwater recharge. It looks at the benefits and gaps in knowledge, their implementation and funding strategies, and public participation. It also assesses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of water harvesting technologies. Water Harvesting for Groundwater Management: Issues, Perspectives, Scope and Challenges offers chapters covering: issues on water harvesting and water security; mega-trends that impact water security; groundwater occurrence, availability, and recharge-ability; phases of water harvesting systems; SWOT analysis of water harvesting systems; case studies and short examples of implementing water harvesting; scope of water harvesting for GWM strategies; guidelines to make water harvesting helpful and meaningful for GWM; and more. Summarizes the theories and applications of water harvesting for groundwater management for a world audience Offers guidance on effective water harvesting approaches for groundwater recharge, managed aquifer recharge, and successful water management strategies Evaluates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of water harvesting technologies Part of the Challenges in Water Management series Water Harvesting for Groundwater Management: Issues, Perspectives, Scope and Challenges is an excellent resource for water management professionals working with water harvesting technologies, and will be of great interest to water managers, administrators, professionals, academics and researchers working in water management.