Books about Semi arid from Amazon.com

Drylands are usually characterised by strong climatic contrasts with rivers suffering seasonal drought and occasional torrential rains. Drylands produce a characteristic balance of hillslope and channel processes that give dryland rivers their special features. The most obvious and important property of most dryland rivers is that flow is ephemeral. Hence the relative importance of many fluvial processes differs considerably from more humid regions. Although these characteristics are not unique to dryland rivers, they share many attributes that place them outside the normal range of temperate rivers and merit separate study.

Dryland Rivers is the first text to focus on dryland channel networks and processes and presents a historical framework for research, discusses examples of current studies and evaluates contemporary modelling approaches. Emphasis is on the Mediterranean region, with comparisons to other dryland regimes, with differing degrees of aridity, and with seasonality that may differ from the Mediterranean regime of wet winters and dry summers.

Dryland Rivers is a vital text for water engineers, environmental consultants, and researchers in geomorphology or semi-arid environments. It will be an invaluable reference to postgraduate students and undergraduates at level 2 and 3, especially those focused on dryland environments..
Price: $132.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Water deficiency in many arid and semi-arid regions in Southern Europe is becoming a major constraint for economic welfare and sustainable regional development. These regions are characterised by high spatial and temporal imbalances of water demand and supply, seasonal water uses, inadequate water resources and poor institutional water management.

The aim of this book is to formulate appropriate strategies and guidelines for water management necessary for the formulation and implementation of integrated sustainable management of water resources. Lessons are learned from various case studies, which examine competing water use patterns, compare governance structures and how these have evolved in response to scarcity, and structural and non-structural instruments to address water deficiency.

Water Management in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions will appeal to policymakers in relevant countries as well as to scholars and researchers of environmental studies and economics..
Price: $135.58 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Exploring the concept of fragmentation, the ecological processes interrupted by fragmentation, and the social consequences of fragmented landscapes, this book presents a timely synthesis on the effects of fragmentation on arid and semi-arid pastoral systems throughout the world.

The global significance of the world’s rangelands is large, with these arid and semi-arid systems making up almost 25% of the earth’s landscapes – and supporting the livelihoods of more than 20 million people. These ecosystems are also home to several of the planet’s remaining megafauna, as well as other important species. Yet fragmentation across these rangelands has significantly impaired the ability of both people and animals to compensate for temporal heterogeneity in vegetation and water by exploiting its spatial heterogeneity, resulting in limited resource availability.

The case is developed that while fragmentation arises from different natural, social and economic conditions worldwide it creates similar outcomes for human and natural systems. With information from nine sites around the world the authors examine how fragmentation occurs, the patterns that result, and the consequences of fragmentation for ecosystems and the people who depend on them. The book will provide a valuable reference for students and researchers in rangeland ecology, park and natural resource management, environmental and ecological anthropology, economics and agriculture.

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Price: $186.08 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This book comprises the proceedings of the International Conference on Water Resources of Arid and Semi-Arid regions of Africa. Africa's resources are threatened by an increasing population. It is important that the water resources in arid and semi-arid regions are developed in a sustainable manner. After an introduction about the difficulties in obtaining data, the main subject of groundwater recharge is discussed in various aspects: natural and artificial; socio-economic aspects of water demand management; geophysical, GIS and remote sensing techniques for groundwater exploration; climate change and its impact on water resources; vulnerability and risk assessment, and water management..
Price: $250.02 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This book attempts to describe runoff, infiltration and subsurface flow of water by adopting a holistic approach rather than restricting itself to a particular section of the hydrological cycle. It includes reports on recent studies which have led to a better understanding of a variety of problems prevailing in semi-arid and arid zones. Emphasis has been put on studies which incorporate the use of advanced applied techniques developed for dealing with these water problems. This has been done with the hope of providing guidance in solving special problems of water supply and safe reuse of wastes, liable to arise during future development in these zones. Audience: This volume is of value for experts from academia, consultancies and water resources planning and management institutes interested in hydrological problems in semi-arid and arid regions..
Price: $43.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]