Innovative solutions for water resource management are essential due to challenges posed by population growth, urbanization, and climate change. This updated edition includes new figures, percentages, and the latest trends, along with revised case studies that address current and future issues in water conservation and quality protection. The comprehensive approach ensures readers are equipped with relevant information to tackle the increasing demands of effective water management.
The Role of Blue-Green Infrastructure in Managing Urban Water Resources
Focusing on urban policy innovations, this revised edition highlights the importance of blue-green infrastructure in sustainable water resource management. It emphasizes the growing recognition of nature-based solutions in addressing societal challenges, such as climate change impacts in urban areas. The book explores how these strategies not only mitigate climatic extremes but also contribute to environmental restoration and biodiversity enhancement, reflecting the evolving understanding of urban ecological practices since the first edition.
Focusing on the circular water economy, this book explores innovative policies aimed at reducing water consumption, reusing water, and recovering resources from wastewater. It emphasizes the importance of these practices in enhancing resilience to climate change and lowering greenhouse gas emissions associated with water services. Featuring in-depth case studies from various global locations, it serves as a crucial resource for water conservation managers, policymakers, environmental NGOs, researchers, and students interested in sustainable practices and the circular economy.
The book explores innovative fiscal and non-fiscal strategies employed by governments to establish circular economies, highlighting their potential for substantial economic and environmental advantages. It underscores the critical urgency of transitioning from the current linear economic model, which has resulted in environmental harm and resource volatility, advocating for sustainable practices that promote resource efficiency and equitable distribution.
Exploring Public, Private, and Blended Finance Models and Case Studies
Innovative financial instruments and approaches for implementing nature-based solutions (NBS) are the focus of this research-driven book. It addresses the critical barrier of financing NBS, detailing who should pay and how to fund these initiatives. The book examines various finance models—public, private, and blended—applicable to diverse ecosystems and stakeholder contexts. Through case studies, it highlights best practices in financing NBS, making it a valuable resource for environmental planners, policymakers, NGOs, and students interested in sustainability.
The book critiques the traditional view of the ocean economy as merely a tool for economic growth, highlighting the detrimental consequences of resource exploitation. It discusses the negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems, including overfishing, habitat degradation, and waste dumping. Additionally, it addresses the challenges posed by climate change, such as rising sea levels and ocean acidification, and emphasizes the marginalization of vulnerable coastal communities. The work calls for a reevaluation of how marine resources are managed to ensure their sustainability for future generations.
This book discusses the need for diverse policies to enhance synergies between the water-energy-food nexus while minimizing trade-offs for a green economy. It features case studies from various global regions that have adopted innovative policies to alleviate nexus pressures and promote green growth, appealing to planners, policymakers, and researchers.
The effects of climate change are beginning to impact water quantity and water quality across the globe. However, there is no single action or strategy that any government can implement to ensure a community is resilient to climate change-related extreme weather events while also protecting the natural system. Instead, Robert Brears argues, climate resilient water resources management requires integrated, forward-thinking policies that are not only adaptable to changing climatic conditions but also seek to maximise economic and social welfare in an equitable manner while ensuring the continued health of their ecosystems. This book addresses how several levels of government in different geographical locations, with varying climates, incomes, and lifestyles, have implemented a variety of policies and technologies to ensure communities are resilient to climatic risks, and how these policies preserve and enhance the natural system and its associated ecosystem’s health.