Citizen participation in water and environmental management via community-based monitoring (CBM) has been praised for the potential to facilitate better informed, more inclusive, transparent, and representative decision making. However, methodological and empirical research trying to conceptualize and evaluate the dynamics at play that might enable or hinder these initiatives from delivering on their potential is limited. This research contributed to the conceptualization of CBMs through development of a conceptual framework that is suitable for Context analysis, Process evaluation and Impact assessment of CBMs – the CPI Framework. This conceptualization provides an interpretation of what 'community' means in the context of a CBM initiative. In addition, this research contributed to the existing empirical knowledge about the establishment, functioning and outcomes of CBMs by testing the CPI Framework for studying two real life CBMs throughout the lifetime of an EU-funded project - the Ground Truth 2.0. The first CBM is called Grip op Water Altena that focuses on the issue of pluvial floods in 'Land van Heusden en Altena' of the Netherlands. The second CBM is Maasai Mara Citizen Observatory and aims at contributing to a better balance between biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihood management in the Mara ecosystem in Kenya.

Increasingly, environmental decision making is like playing a multidimensional game of chess. With interactions between the atmosphere, the litho-hydrosphere, and the biosphere, the game is at once a measure of complexity, uncertainty, interdisciplinary acuity, social-environmental sustainability, and social justice for all generations. As such, it

This volume analyses the causes underlying the dire state of water infrastructure in the NIS and presents recommendations for addressing it which were adopted at a meeting of Economic/Finance and Environment Ministers held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in October 2000.

With the growing number, complexity, and importance of environmental problems come demands to include a full range of intellectual disciplines and scholarly traditions to help define and eventually manage such problems more effectively. Decision Making for the Environment: Social and Behavioral Science Research Priorities is the result of a 2-year effort by 12 social and behavioral scientists, scholars, and practitioners. The report sets research priorities for the social and behavioral sciences as they relate to several different kinds of environmental problems.

This book aims to offer new scientific concept in the field of water and environment. The main purpose of this book is to exchange some of the latest research findings and educational information on the water and environment in order to take important measures to protect water resources and the environment for future generations in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. The book welcomes all related research and review papers and hopes ICSDWE can positively impact our world and provide a better future for all, including the improvement to the quality of life.

"Covers a broad range of subjects that undergraduates in the discipline should be familiar and comfortable with upon graduation. From chapters on the scientific method and fundamental research concepts, to experimental design, sampling and statistical analysis, the text offers an excellent introduction to the key concepts of geographical research. The content is applicable for students at the beginning of their studies right through to planning and conducting dissertations. The book has also been of particular support in designing my level 1 and 2 tutorials which cover similar ground to several of the chapters." - Joseph Mallalieu, School of Geography, Leeds University "Montello and Sutton is one of the best texts I′ve used in seminars on research methodology. The text offers a clear balance of quantitative vs. qualitative and physical vs. human which I′ve found particularly valuable. The chapters on research ethics, scientific communication, information technologies and data visualization are excellent." - Kenneth E. Foote, Department of Geography, University of Colorado at Boulder This is a broad and integrative introduction to the conduct and interpretation of scientific research, covering both geography and environmental studies. Written for undergraduate and postgraduate students, it: Explains both the conceptual and the technical aspects of research, as well as all phases of the research process Combines approaches in physical geography and environmental science, human geography and human-environment relations, and geographic and environmental information techniques (such as GIS, cartography, and remote sensing) Combines natural and social scientific approaches common to subjects in geography and environmental studies Includes case studies of actual research projects to demonstrate the breadth of approaches taken It will be core reading for students studying scientific research methods in geography, environmental studies and related disciplines such as planning and earth science.

Society is increasingly affected by climate impacts, from prolonged water shortages to damaging coastal floods and wildfires. Scientists studying climate variations are eager to have their knowledge used in adaptive decision making. To achieve this, science and society must engage productively around complex management and policy challenges. For over 20 years, the science-society interface has been fertile ground for the Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) programs sponsored by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Climate in Context describes what it takes to help scientists and stakeholders work together to “co-produce” climate science knowledge, policy, and action. This state-of-the art synthesis reflects on lessons learned by RISA programs, and provides a sober assessment of the challenges ahead. Through case studies from various US regions, this book provides lessons and guidance for organizations and individuals who want to work at the science-society interface on a range of climate challenges.

As the world faces another water crisis, it is easy to understand why this precious and highly-disputed resource could determine the fate of entire nations. In reality, however, water conflicts rarely result in violence and more often lead to collaborative governance, however precarious. In this comprehensive and accessible text, David Feldman introduces readers to the key issues, debates, and challenges in water politics today. Its ten chapters explore the processes that determine how this unique resource captures our attention, the sources of power that determine how we allocate, use, and protect it, and the purposes that direct decisions over its cost, availability, and access. Drawing on contemporary water controversies from every continent from Flint, Michigan to Mumbai, Sao Paulo, and Beijing the book argues that cooperation and more equitable water management are imperative if the global community is to adequately address water challenges and their associated risks, particularly in the developing world. While alternatives for enhancing water supply, including waste-water re-use, desalination, and conservation abound, without inclusive means of addressing citizens' concerns, their adoption faces severe hurdles that can impede cooperation and generate additional conflicts.