Summary

Sponsored by the Emerging and Innovative Technology Committee of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute of ASCE.
With forewords by William J. Cosgrove, President, EcoConsult Inc., and Olcay Unver, Coordinator, United Nations World Water Assessment Programme, and Director, Programme Office for Global Water Assessment, Division of Water Sciences, UNESCO.

Toward a Sustainable Water Future: Visions for 2050 showcases the opinions of more than 50 experts who draw an optimistic picture of environmental and water resource conditions and issues midway through the 21st century. These authorities--distinguished professionals in environmental and water resources engineering, ecology, economics, and law--describe the pathways that could transform today's visions into future reality. Each chapter addresses a specific issue in water resources planning and policy, education, or science and technology and identifies the steps to shape a future of water security and sustainability.

This collection of essays challenges readers to consider how society can manage natural and cultural resources to benefit present and future generations. It will be of particular interest to students, educators and practitioners in water resource engineering, as well as planners, environmental managers, and government officials at all levels.

The essays in this book are available for free download in the http: //ascelibrary.org/doi/book/10.1061/9780784412077ASCE Library.

Choice Review

This work, with contributions from 50-plus experts in water resources engineering, ecological science, economics, and law-related fields, explores the possible state of the world's water resources in 2050. These specialist contributors admittedly have an optimistic bias when they envision the ideal management of this critical natural and cultural resource for future generations. Three main parts constitute the bulk of the book: "Planning and Policy," "Education," and "Technology." A common introduction (part 1) briefly presents the history of water resources over the last 40 years, and a common conclusion (part 5) reiterates the authors' visions and possible steps for realizing their visions. Areas covered include sanitation/hygiene, transboundary waters, river basins, floods, climate change, agriculture, irrigation, hydroelectric power, green technologies, and more. The book's relevance comes from the authors' presentations of what they would like to see in 2050, not their forecasts. It is not an encyclopedic compendium of all aspects of the subject, but a work for generating discussions on how to develop a sustainable water future. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. E. Gomezdelcampo Bowling Green State University