In the current age of science and technology, our lives have become dominated by countless scientific and technological innovations without which the earth would be a much poorer place. Life as we know would become absolutely bleak and boring without the inventions and advances being made all over the globe. In fact, scientific inventions, discoveries and innovations have ushered in a dramatic revolution in virtually every sphere of life. But at the same time, the skewed use of technology is at loggerheads with the environment. We, and our environment, now face a number of critical challenges and it is in response to this that we wrote this book to raise awareness for environmental issues and related management aspects.
With a primary focus on Environmental Management – the rational reconciliation of man and nature, which involves the judicious exploitation and utilization of natural resources without disturbing the ecosystem’s balance – it will thus help toimprove the relationship between man and environment. Moreover, it offers a wealth of ready-to-use material for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of Environment and Water Management. The book systematically addresses a range of key aspects, e.g. scientific principles, methods and ideas, as well as life-long learning skills for students. Further, it provides a solid foundation for applying scientific approaches to environmental problems.