Rövid leírás:

Water shortage is one of the most critical topics at the global level. This volume examines methods and techniques of water harvesting to make more water available to humans and animals and for irrigation purposes in dry environments where rainwater is the only source of water. The book covers all aspects of water harvesting, from hydrology and

Hosszú leírás:

Dry areas suffer not only from limited rainfall but also ?natural leakage??90% of rainwater is lost directly or indirectly, and is unavailable for agriculture or domestic use. Water harvesting is a low-cost, easy-to-use, environmentally-friendly way to recover a large part of this lost water.

How does water harvesting work? Which sites or areas are best suited and how can these areas be identified? How to design, build and maintain a water harvesting system tailored to local needs? How can water harvesting contribute to combating land degradation, enhancing food security and adapting to climate change? This book provides the answers.

The book is based on many years of research, training and development by three of the world?s leading experts in water management and agriculture. It is authoritative, comprehensive, and easy to read, containing practical examples, many illustrations and little jargon. This volume will be of great interest to researchers, development workers, farmers, policymakers, students of the natural sciences?in fact, anyone interested in efficient, sustainable management of water resources and agriculture.

Eight chapters of this book describe the principles and practices of rainwater harvesting in dry areas, covering a wide range of water harvesting systems,... Throughout the text there are line drawings and photographs, which are particularly well done, as are the additional 25 pages of colour plates. The last two chapters, which address associated socio-economic and environmental aspacts of rainwater harvesting, complement the strong practical engineering focus of the book.
Readers will find this book to be a valuable source on rainwater harvesting.

Erik Craswell, Experimental Agriculture, volume 49(I) - 2013, Cambridge University Press

Tartalomjegyzék:

1. Principles and practices of water harvesting 2. Hydrological aspects of water harvesting 3. Methods and techniques in water harvesting 4. Runoff inducement methods 5. Identification of areas suitable for water harvesting 6. Planning and design of water harvesting systems 7. Storage of harvested water 8. Implementation, operation, and maintenance of water harvesting systems 9. Socioeconomic issues 10. Water quality and environmental considerations