Rivers and Society: Landscapes, Governance and Livelihoods

ISBN-13: 9781138930902 / Angielski / Twarda / 2017 / 258 str.

Malcolm Cooper; Abhik Chakraborty

Opis

Rivers and their watersheds constitute some of the most dynamic and complex landscapes. Rivers have sustained human communities, and human societies have utilized and altered river flows in a number of ways for millennia. However, the level of human impact on rivers, and on watershed environments, has become acute during the last hundred years or so. This book brings together empirical research on the changing conditions of a range of river basin environments in the contemporary world, including the history and culture of local societies living in these river basins. It provides theoretical insights on the patterns and nature of the interaction between rivers and their use by human communities. The chapters are written from a variety of positions, including environmental science, hydrology, human ecology, urban environments, the politics of water use, historical geography, cultural anthropology, and tourism studies. Some notable riverine case study areas are included: the Nile, Ganges, Murray-Darling, Mekong, and Amazon. Others, including from Europe, Central Asia, USA and Japan, are used to illustrate our understanding of the various impacts upon such systems. The discussion is set within a framework that highlights the impact of climate change, transboundary issues, the uses of river water, pollution and restoration, tourism and the socio-economics and politics of river governance.

Recenzje

"this book offers a very diverse perspective on river systems, management, and linkage of cultural systems. In the latter perspective of linking cultural river landscape perspectives—this book is unique. Also of great value is the international range of river systems covered within one book. This book would be useful as an upper level undergraduate, beginning graduate level geography, environmental studies course on river systems and society, or anyone interested in a wide scope of studying river systems for a societal perspective." - Richard Smardon in Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences (2018)

Spis treści

1. Introduction Rivers and Society  2. Rivers as Socioecological Landscapes  3. Rivers and Communities: Can We Drought Proof a Catchment or an Entire Country? 4. Arid Lands, Saline Lands: Water in the form of a major river under stress, the Murray-Darling System in Australia  5. Life, Identity and Work in an Arid River Basin: The Case of the Zayandeh-Rud (Life-Giving River) in Central Iran  6. Rivers and Water Security: Supply adaptation strategies in the City of Chennai, India  7. The Velho Chico: perceptions and conflicts  8. Rivers as Vernacular Landscapes  9. Keep it Flowing: The Restoration Ecology of Indigenous Culture and Language Along the Missouri River  10. The End of the Los Angeles River: A paradox  11. The River’s Embrace: The Rhine-Meuse Delta (Re)Imagined  Chapter 12: Art Custodians of Our Rivers: Basia Irland: Watershed Sculpture and Ichi Ikeda 1  13. Hydrocitizenship: Concepts and Insights from the Lee Valley, UK  14. River Tourism  15. Rivers and Regional Development: The Case of the Herault River in South-western France  16. Rivers and Society: A Synthesis