ABSTRACT

Water is a precious resource essential for all forms of life, and although there is plenty of water to meet the demand for the present population – and even for a projected population of 9 billion – there is significant spatial and temporal variation in its distribution. This results in water rich and water poor countries, water-related conflicts, and unsafe drinking water, a major killer identified by the World Health Organization (WHO). Water for Life: Drinking Water, Health, Food, Energy Nexus covers these issues, highlighting the multi-facted uses and importance of water in life: water resources, chemistry of water, drinking water, and the links between water and health, food, irrigation, soil, energy, transport, industry, recreation, disasters, and conflicts.

The book is accessible and clear, with technical elements. It is ideal as a background supplementary text to support more specialist study across civil engineering, geography, and social sciences, and will guide readers to see the big picture of environmentally sustainable water management for all human and other biotic lives.

chapter Chapter 1|7 pages

Introduction and scope

chapter Chapter 2|37 pages

Earth's water resources

chapter Chapter 3|11 pages

Chemistry of water

chapter Chapter 4|12 pages

Drinking water – Global perspective

chapter Chapter 5|21 pages

Domestic water – Supply and demand

chapter Chapter 6|36 pages

Drinking water – From source to tap

chapter Chapter 7|22 pages

Water and health

chapter Chapter 8|25 pages

Water and food

chapter Chapter 9|19 pages

Water and irrigation

chapter Chapter 10|34 pages

Water and soil

chapter Chapter 11|27 pages

Water and energy

chapter Chapter 12|9 pages

Water for transport

chapter Chapter 13|12 pages

Water for industry

chapter Chapter 14|10 pages

Water and recreation

chapter Chapter 15|27 pages

Water and disasters

chapter Chapter 16|20 pages

Water-related conflicts