Management of Hydrological Systems aims for sustainable water management, through contingent water valuation, showing the reader in a didactic way the procedure to follow in mountain basins. The text is recommended not only for water resource managers and decision- and policymakers but also for students and teachers.
The contingent valuation of water is one of the key components when wanting to implement proposals for integrated water management in mountain basins. Management of Hydrological Systems (MHS), is one of the great challenges that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) currently demand. Mainly in mountain basins with fragile ecosystems that face strong pressures such as poverty, urban and population growth, low water supply and sanitation, and climate change.
Management of Hydrological Systems aims for sustainable water management, through contingent water valuation, showing the reader in a didactic way the procedure to follow in mountain basins. This book offers a complete characterization of the main problems affecting this type of basin, as well as the detailed procedure of the contingent valuation of water, which directly involves users. As such, this work is offered in relation to this urgent need for practical guidance demanded by society (SDGs), and is based on practical and real examples, rather than theoretical constructions, from places where these issues have not been widely addressed.
The text is recommended as a way forward, not only for water resource managers and decision- and policymakers but also for students and teachers who wish to implement this MHS guide.
This is a very competently conducted economic/water resources case study of an equatorial mountain agricultural basin in Ecuador that is suffering from water stress. The study unites many tools for analysis of the water cycle with a market study to determine the value of water for different sectors or categories of consumers, for the general purpose of achieving a sustainable water supply. The book is well produced and features many color plates, including graphs, maps, and photographs. Each chapter is coauthored by one to three of the six other contributing authors, some in collaboration with Benavides Mun?oz (Univ. Técnica Particular de Loja, Ecuador). All are academics except one, described as a freelance economist. One chapter in particular occupies almost half of the volume, providing a complete hydrologic/climatological assessment of the region. Other chapters cover various economic aspects including a drinking water market study and water service valuation. Two shorter chapters describe local environmental issues and climate change trends. The book concludes by drawing specific conclusions and recommendations for the case at hand. This work will be of use to professionals with similar problems to solve, and to advanced academics as a case study.
Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals.
D.A. Vaccari (Stevens Institute of Technology) in CHOICE, April 2021, Vol. 58, No. 8
