Water Governance: Nurturing Resilience for Sustainable Development

Less than 1% of the world’s water is easily accessible and usable for humans, with the majority being saltwater or frozen fresh water. Global statistics show that around four billion people in the world are exposed to severe water scarcity, and the situation will worsen by 2030. This new book explores the use of water governance as a solution to sustainable development and conservation of water resources. It consolidates the existing knowledge of water management and governance in conjunction with the impact of climate change, challenging economic environments, and fluctuating political conditions.

Umair Riaz, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Soil and Environmental Sciences at MNS University of Agriculture, Pakistan. He formerly served as a Scientific Officer (Lab) at the Soil and Water Testing Laboratory for Research, Pakistan, specializing in waste management, metal toxicology, phytochemistry, and phytoremediation. He is the author of research papers and book chapters and has presented at and participated in conferences, seminars, workshops, and symposia. Dr. Riaz has worked as a research associate on projects funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and also served as an editorial board member and reviewer for international journals.

Laila Shahzad, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Sustainable Development Study Centre at Government College University, Pakistan. With more than 15 years of experience in research in climatic studies, water resources, and ecosystem services, she has published scientific articles and book chapters in the fields of environmental change, resilience and sustainability, global health, agricultural water management, and disaster risk. Dr. Shahzad is editorial board member for Societal Impacts and managing editor of the Journal of Quality Assurance in Agricultural Sciences.

Fernanda Maria Policarpo Tonelli, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at Federal University of São João del Rei, Brazil. She specializes in biotechnology/molecular biology and has been studying nanomaterials applications such as delivery and remediation, green synthesis protocols, and the allelopathic potential of secondary metabolites from plants, resulting in several granted patents. She has published books, scientific articles, and book chapters with international publishers. She has been recognized with various awards, including “For Women in Science Brazil” (awarded by L’Oreal Brasil,UNESCO in Brazil, and Brazilian Academy of Sciences) and “Under 30 Brazil” (Forbes).