The latest developments regarding the theory and practice of effectively resolving conflict in
water resources and environmental management are presented in this book by respected experts
from around the globe. Water conflicts are particularly complex and challenging to solve
because water and environmental issues span both the societal realm in which people and
organizations interact and the physical world which sustains all human activities. For
instance when large-scale water diversions take place across political jurisdictions
conflicts may ensue among stakeholders within and across regions while the water transfers may
cause severe damage to sensitive ecological systems. Therefore to arrive at realistic and fair
resolutions one must take into account not only the economics and politics of the situation
but also the water quantity and quality changes that may occur within the altered hydrological
system as well as the ecosystems contained therein. When the effects of climate change and the
closely connected activities of energy production and usage are also considered the complexity
of the problem becomes even greater and messier. Accordingly one must adopt an integrative and
adaptive approach to water and environmental governance that specifically recognizes the
conflicting value systems of stakeholders including nature and future generations even though
they are not present at the bargaining table. The 16 chapters in this leading-edge book are
written by authors who presented their original research at the International Conference on
Water Resources and Environment Research (ICWRER) 2013 which was held in Koblenz Germany
from June 3rd to 7th 2013 and subsequently submitted expanded versions of their research for
review and publication in this timely book. The rich range of contributions are put into
perspective in the first chapter and then categorized into four main interconnected parts:Part
I: Management and EvaluationPart II: Global Trans-boundary and International DimensionsPart
III: Consensus-building Bargaining and NegotiationPart IV: Ecological and Socio-economic
Impacts
