Book description
This book is intended for those with an academic, scientific and
practical interest in river conservation and management. It provides an
overview of how changes in legislation, policies, institutional
responsibilities, science, technology, practical techniques and public
perception have influenced how rivers have been managed over the past 20
years and the challenges that lie ahead during the next 20 years.
The book is based on the international conference River
Conservation and Management:20 Years On held at York. Thirty-one
chapters, with contributions from North and South America, Europe,
Asia and Australasia provide a wide-ranging perspective on this
complex but profoundly important subject.
Following an introduction that chronicles the most important
contextual changes, the book is organized into four broad topics:
-
Catchment management, ecosystem integrity and the threats to
river ecosystems - this covers progress on understanding and
addressing the pressures affecting rivers, many of which will be
amplified by climate change and increasing human demands for water;
-
Methods and approaches - illustrating some recent techniques
that have been developed to assess condition and conservation status
across different types of river;
-
Recovery and rehabilitation - providing an insight into the
principles, practice, public involvement and institutional networks
that support and make improvements to modified river reaches;
-
Integrating nature conservation into wider river management
-demonstrating the importance of integrated planning,
involvement of local communities and the use of adaptive management
in achieving multiple environmental and economic benefits along
rivers used for different purposes.
The final chapter discusses the challenges faced in dealing with an
uncertain future.
More than 1200 different references and numerous web-site citations
provide the reader with an invaluable source of knowledge on the
subject area.
