Water and Society

This book contains the papers presented at a conference co-organised by the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and the Wessex Institute of Technology to facilitate trans-disciplinary communication on issues related to the nature of water and its use and exploitation by society. With adequate water supply becoming a critical issue in more and more areas, there is a great and urgent need to bridge the gap between the broad spectrum of social sciences and humanistic disciplines and the specialists in physical and natural sciences, biology, environmental sciences, and health. Many issues are also trans-national in nature and relate to rights of states and hence it is essential to discuss these at an international level to arrive at equitable and binding solutions that will ensure the rights of society to quality water supplies. This book discusses: The Nature of Water; Water as a Human Right; Water as the Source of Life; Water in a Changing Climate; Future Water Demands and Adaptation Strategies; Water Resources Contamination; Surface and Sub-Surface Water Resources; Irrigation and Desertification; Water, Sanitation and Health; Transnational Water Rights; Legislation and Controls; Water through the Ages; Lessons to be Learnt; and Water and Disaster Management.