This book was undertaken at a pivotal time in the region. The weak summer monsoon in 2009 created drought conditions throughout Pakistan. This followed an already tenuous situation for many rural households faced with high fuel and fertilizer costs and the impacts of rising global food prices. Then catastrophic monsoon flooding in 2010 affected over 20 million people, devastating their housing, infrastructure, and crops. Damages from this single flood event were estimated at US$10 billion, half of which were losses in the agriculture sector. Notwithstanding the debate as to whether these...

The Republic of Armenia is facing a number of emerging challenges in the water sector. Though overall water resource availability in the country is good, the country's ability to monitor groundwater and surface water is deteriorating, enforcement under the existing water permit system is weak, conflicts loom over water use in the agriculturally important Ararat valley, and climate change continues to exert pressure. The performance of the irrigation, hydropower, municipal, industrial, and environment sectors depends on the judicious and coordinated wise use of the country's water resources....