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 in the Department in the Department of Soil & Environmental Sciences at MNS University of Agriculture Multan, Pakistan. Dr. Riaz also served as a Scientific Officer (Lab) for six years in the Soil and Water Testing Laboratory for Research, Bahawalpur, Pakistan, specializing in waste management, metal toxicology, phytochemistry, and phytoremediation. His research interests are related to the development of new fertilizer technology based on nanochemistry with an emphasis on plant nutrition. He has supervised graduate and postgraduate students of environmental sciences for the past several years. He is the author of more than 50 research papers and book chapters, and he has presented and participated in numerous state, national, and international conferences, seminars, workshops, and symposia. Dr. Riaz has worked as a research associate in Higher Education Commission (HEC) funded projects regarding field studies. He has received many awards, appreciations, and recognitions for his services to the science of soil, water, pesticide, and fertilizer testing analysis. He has also served as an editorial board member and reviewer of international journals.

Laila Shahzad, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Sustainable Development Study Centre at Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan. She has more than 15 years of experience of research in climatic studies, water resources, and ecosystem services, and has over 50 research publications, with more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific articles and several 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 of the Elsevier journal Societal Impacts and managing editor of the Journal of Quality Assurance in Agricultural Sciences. She has been actively participating in many national and international conferences, presenting her research ideas. Dr. Shahzad has been contributing in many scientific advisory roles. She holds a postdoctorate degree from the Institute of Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, UK.

Fernanda Maria Policarpo Tonelli, PhD, is currently an Assistant Professor at Federal University of São João del Rei, Divinopolis, MG, Brazil, where she teaches graduate and postgraduate students. She specializes in biotechnology/molecular biology and has been studying nanomaterials applications such as delivery and remediation as same as green synthesis protocols, and allelopathic potential of secondary metabolites from plants. These research projects resulted in 10 patent applications, three of them already analyzed and granted. She has published nine books and authored 15 scientific articles and more than 40 book chapters with international publishers. Dr. Tonelli has also dedicated herself to the promotion of science and technology through co-funding a nongovernmental organization. Her efforts as a researcher have been recognized with various awards, including For Women in Science Brazil (awarded by LOreal Brasil, UNESCO in Brazil, and Brazilian Academy of Sciences) and Under 30 Brazil (Forbes).