River Conservation and Management (eBook)

This book is intended for those with an academic, scientific and
practical interest in river conservation and management. It
provides an overview of how changes in legislation, policies,
institutional responsibilities, science, technology, practical
techniques and public perception have influenced how rivers have
been managed over the past 20 years and the challenges that lie
ahead during the next 20 years.

The book is based on the international conference River
Conservation and Management:20 Years On held at York.
Thirty-one chapters, with contributions from North and South
America, Europe, Asia and Australasia provide a wide-ranging
perspective on this complex but profoundly important subject.



Following an introduction that chronicles the most important
contextual changes, the book is organized into four broad
topics:

* Catchment management, ecosystem integrity and the threats to
river ecosystems - this covers progress on
understanding and addressing the pressures affecting rivers, many
of which will be amplified by climate change and increasing human
demands for water;

* Methods and approaches - illustrating some recent
techniques that have been developed to assess condition and
conservation status across different types of river;

* Recovery and rehabilitation - providing an insight
into the principles, practice, public involvement and institutional
networks that support and make improvements to modified river
reaches;

* Integrating nature conservation into wider river management
-demonstrating the importance of integrated planning,
involvement of local communities and the use of adaptive management
in achieving multiple environmental and economic benefits along
rivers used for different purposes.

The final chapter discusses the challenges faced in dealing with
an uncertain future.

More than 1200 different references and numerous web-site
citations provide the reader with an invaluable source of knowledge
on the subject area.