Groundwater is humanity’s most vital supply of freshwater. Freshwater resources contained in aquifer systems globally are two orders of magnitude greater than those found in all rivers, lakes, and other surface freshwaters combined. Moreover, approximately one half of the world’s population today is dependent on groundwater for its basic needs.While these truisms are widely acknowledged, an additional reality is now recognized – many of these subsurface freshwater reservoirs are ac...

The impacts of population growth, climate change, and water scarcity and variability on a country's economy or society, in addition to the sheer need to harness international rivers for domestic and regional purposes, have made the management of transboundary freshwater a subject of great import. Over the past several decades, research in various disciplines utilizing a variety of methodologies has explored these issues, focusing on freshwater's strategic importance as well as conflict, co...

This open access book focuses on the importance of reducing pollution and protecting water resources for the health of people and the environment. Water is vital for life on Earth. The quality of the world's freshwater resources is deteriorating due to the rise in pollution levels, which puts the health of people and the environment at risk. Emerging pollutants, a new class called Contaminants of Emerging Concern, pose a global water quality challenge. The identification and implementation...

Legal mechanisms for the management, development and protection of water resources have evolved over the years and have reached unprecedented levels of complexity and sophistication. This phenomenon is largely in response to the global community’s sustainable development agenda, to the challenges and limitations imposed by climate variability, and to scientific and technological advances. Bringing together diverse experiences from across the world, this book analyses existing water law and...