Hydrology and Water Management in the Humid Tropics

This book considers all aspects of hydrology in the humid tropics. The first four parts of the book cover the physical basis of hydrology in the humid tropics: climatology, meteorology, process hydrology, sedimentation, water quality and freshwater ecology. This is followed by extensive treatment of the human and societal issues: land-use changes, water resource management, and rural and urban water supply in the tropical regions.

Foreword; Part I. Introduction: Part II. Humid Tropics Setting: 2. Climate and rainfall variability in the humid tropics; 3. Operational hydrology problems in the humid tropics; 4. The problems of the humid tropics - opportunities for reassessment of hydrological methodology; Part III. Regional Hydrology: 5. Hydrology in humid tropical Asia; 6. Hydrology and water resources of humid Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea; 7. Hydrology and water resources of tropical Latin America and the Caribbean; 8. Amazonian rainfall and its variability; 9. Regional hydrology and water resources in the African humid tropics; 10. Review of hydrology and water resources of humid tropical islands; Part IV. Physical Processes: 11. Recent scientific developments and research needs in the hydrological processes of the humid tropics; 12. Groundwater systems with reference to the humid tropics; 13. Perspective on the hydrology and water resource management of natural freshwater wetlands and lakes in the humid tropics; 14. Erosion and sedimentation; 15. Water quality issues in the humid tropics; 16. Ecological characteristics of tropical fresh waters: an outline; Part V. Physical Processes - Human Uses: The Interface: 17. Challenges in agriculture and forest hydrology in the humid tropics; 18. The impact of land-use change on water resources in the humid tropics: an Australian view of the scientific issues; 19. Urban water management problems in the humid tropics: some technical and non-technical considerations; 20. The management of water resources, development and human health in the humid tropics; 21. Water supply and health in the humid tropics with particular reference to rural areas; Part VI. Management Issues: 22. Water resource management; 23. Water management issues: population, agriculture and forests - a focus on watershed management; 24. Urban water resources in the humid tropics: an overview of the ASEAN region; 25. An ecological and environmental approach to urban water problems in the humid tropics; 26. Rethinking urban water supply and sanitation strategy in developing countries in the humid tropics: lessons from the International Water Decade; 27. Water resource management issues in the humid tropics; Part VII. Appendices; Index.