Book Description Review Quotes Contents
Book Description

Produced biennially, The World's Water provides a timely examination of the key issues surrounding freshwater resources and their use. Each new volume identifies and explains the most significant current trends worldwide, and offers the best data available on a variety of water-related topics. The 2006-2007 volume features overview chapters on:

  • Water and terrorism
  • Business risks of water
  • Water and ecosystems
  • Floods and droughts
  • Desalination
  • Environmental justice and water
The book contains an updated chronology of global conflicts associated with water as well as an assessment of recent water conferences, including the 4th World Water Forum. It also offers a brief review of issues surrounding the use of bottled water and the possible existence of water on Mars.

From one of the world's leading authorities on water issues, The World's Water is the most comprehensive and up-to-date source of information and analysis on freshwater resources and the political, economic, scientific, and technological issues associated with them.

Review Quotes

"…both an excellent reference work and intriguing general introduction."
Sierra

"[The World's Water] contains an enormous amount of information on water in addition to cogent analysis of complex systems…an excellent source of data…simply invaluable as a reference..."
Journal of the American Water Resources Association

"Peter Gleick skillfully brings together wide-ranging historical, scientific, technical, institutional, and legal information about key factors and trends affecting water availability and quality around the world…We should look forward with anticipation to Gleick's next biennial review."
Environmental Change and Security Program Report

"…an excellent resource for those seeking to gain a grasp of this complex topic."
Civil Engineering

"The publication of these reports is a major event in the world of water."
Margaret Catley-Carlson, Chair of the Global Water Partnership

Contents

Foreword
Introduction
 
Chapter 1. Water and Terrorism \ Peter H. Gleick
-Introduction
-The Worry
-Defining Terrorism
-History of Water-Related Conflict
-Vulnerability of Water and Water Systems
-Responding to the Threat of Water-Related Terrorism
-Water Security Policy in the United States
-Conclusion
 
Chapter 2. Going with the Flow: Preserving and Restoring Instream Water Allocations \ David Katz
-Environmental Flow: Concepts and Applications
-Legal Frameworks for Securing Environmental Flow
-The Science of Determining Environmental Flow Allocations
-The Economics and Finance of Environmental Flow Allocations
-Making It Work: Policy Implementation
-Conclusion
 
Chapter 3. With a Grain of Salt: An Update on Seawater Desalination \ Peter H. Gleick, Heather Cooley, Gary Wolff
-Introduction
-Background to Desalination
-History of Desalination
-Desalination Technologies
-Current Status of Desalination
-Advantages and Disadvantages of Desalination
-Environmental Effects of Desalination
-Desalination and Climate Change
-Public Transparency
-Summary
-Desalination Conclusions and Recommendations
 
Chapter 4. Floods and Droughts \ Heather Cooley
-Introduction
-Droughts
-Floods
-The Future of Droughts and Floods
-Conclusion
 
Chapter 5. Environmental Justice and Water \ Meena Palaniappan, Emily Lee, Andrea Samulon
-Introduction
-A Brief History of Environmental Justice in the United States
-Environmental Justice in the International Water Context
-Environmental Justice and International Water Issues
-Recommendations
-Conclusion
 
Chapter 6. Water Risks that Face Bussiness and Industry \ Peter H. Gleick and Jason Morrison
-Introduction
-Water Risks for Business
-Some New Water Trends: Looking Ahead
-Managing Water Risks
-An Overview of the "Water Industry"
-Conclusion
 
Water Briefs
Data Section
Water Units, Data Conversions, and Constants