River Conservation and Management

This selective collection of papers represents the results of an international conference on the conservation and management of rivers, held at York University in September 1990. Topics include philosophy of conservation, catchment characteristics and river ecosystems, threats to river systems, the value of protection, the integration of habitat and wildlife conservation, river classification, management and protection by legislation.

This book is intended for those with an academic, scientific and practical interest in river conservation and management. It provides an overview of how changes in legislation, policies, institutional responsibilities, science, technology, practical techniques and public perception have influenced how rivers have been managed over the past 20 years and the challenges that lie ahead during the next 20 years.

The book is based on the international conference River Conservation and Management:20 Years On held at York. Thirty-one chapters, with contributions from North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australasia provide a wide-ranging perspective on this complex but profoundly important subject.

Following an introduction that chronicles the most important contextual changes, the book is organized into four broad topics:

• Catchment management, ecosystem integrity and the threats to river ecosystems – this covers progress on  understanding and addressing the pressures affecting rivers, many of which will be amplified by climate change and increasing human demands for water;
• Methods and approaches – illustrating some recent techniques that have been developed to assess condition and conservation status across  different types of river;
• Recovery and rehabilitation – providing an insight into the principles, practice, public involvement and institutional networks that support and make improvements to modified river reaches;
• Integrating nature conservation into wider river management –demonstrating the importance of integrated planning, involvement of local communities and the use of adaptive management in achieving multiple environmental and economic benefits along rivers used for different purposes.

The final chapter discusses the challenges faced in dealing with an uncertain future.

More than 1200 different references and numerous web-site citations provide the reader with an invaluable source of knowledge on the subject area.