Water Resources and Economic Processes (Routledge Studies in Ecological Economics)

Water exploitation has increased notably in the world during the last 250 years since the onset of industrialisation. The relationships between economic processes and water use are complex and include many interwoven drivers such as: technological development, dietary choices and food production, climate change, demographic change, and policy reforms, among others. Ensuring food, water, and energy for the growing population remains a common global challenge.

Taking on a multi- and inter-disciplinary viewpoint, Water Resources and Economic Processes offers an up-to-date collection of contributions from leading scholars and works to gather research on important aspects of relevant fields and methodologies, including:

• Historical and long-term overview of the relations between income growth, water use, and technological development;
• Water markets and collaborative actions’ promise and threats in the fight against water stress;
• Impact of climate change on water productivity, including inter- and intra-annual variations;
• Urban reforms and surveys on the attitude of citizens towards private and public mitigation and preservation measures;
• Regional, national, and global comparative case-studies;
• International trade, migration, conf licts, and the globalisation of water;
• Methodological and empirical challenges of building future scenarios.

This book is a key reference text for those studying water governance and management. It is suited to PhD students, national institutions, and NGO, as well as other professionals interested in understanding sustainable water use at the local, national, and international scales.

Tiziano Distefano is a Research Fellow at the University of Pisa, Italy.