Water Security for Ecosystems: Metrics and Pathways for a Sustainable Future explores the mechanisms to support sustainable management of aquatic resources during rising global water demand, global change, and population growth. By identifying resource consumption indicators such as fishing load capacity and virtual water trade, it sets a clear framework for assessing the ecological footprint of extractive industries. It then proposes pathways to establish largescale water security via integrated aquatic resource management, water-efficient technologies, and sustainable policy intervention. Throughout, the book acknowledges the increased strain placed on global aquatic ecosystems due to unsustainable water use, extractive fisheries, agricultural practices, and more.
Written by a renowned team of water resource managers, early chapters in this book define ecological footprints and explore the global policies, industries, and climate forces driving water insecurity. Central chapters explore novel and innovative water conservation techniques, advances in water resource management, and emerging technologies for sustainable water use. Final chapters explore global water policies and the role of international cooperation and propose a roadmap for minimizing aquatic ecological footprints.
1. Understanding water security: Concept and challenges
2. Ecological footprints and sustainable fishing load capacity: Balancing
aquatic ecosystem health and resource management
3. Water scarcity in a changing climate: A global perspective
4. The nexus of water, energy, and food security: A practical application
5. Measuring water footprints: Methods and applications
6. Human activities and their impact on fishing load capacity
7. Urbanization, industrialization, and water security: Theoretical
perspectives and empirical evidence
8. Agriculture and virtual water trade: Hidden impacts
9. Innovative water conservation techniques: Advancing sustainable solutions
for water security and management
10. Integrated water resource management: Policy, practices, and progress
towards the SDGs
11. Desalination for agriculture and industrial applications
12. Transboundary governance for ecosystems: Addressing water security
challenges across shared watersheds
13. Climate change and water security: Risks and adaptation strategies
14. Community-based water management for resilience
15. Technology for hydro-ecology and big data for smart water management
16. Microbial remediation of heavy metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems: A
key to water security
17. Global water policies and the role of international cooperation
18. A roadmap for future water security and sustainable ecological footprints
Dr. Amit Kumar is a Professor of Hydrology and Water Resources at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology. He obtained his M.Tech and PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and conducted his postdoctoral research at Hohai University, China. Dr. Kumars research spans the ecological health of aquatic habitats, water quality modeling, and water security practices to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. He has published five books, including Elseviers Climate Change in the Himalayas, and is an advisory board member for the Elsevier journal Ecological Indicators.
Dr. Uur Korkut Pata is an Associate Professor of Economics at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University. He obtained his PhD from Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey, and his research focuses on the economics of sustainable development, carbon neutrality, and ecological footprint mitigation. Recent work investigated the determinants of load capacity to propose a fishing load capacity curve hypothesis for broad utility in environmental economics literature. He is an Associate Editor of the Elsevier journal Gondwana Research.
Dr. Saikat Sinha Ray is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at SRM University-AP, India. He obtained his PhD from National Taipei University of Technology, Taiwan, and his research focuses on water treatment, saltwater management, water purification, and digital solutions for environmental sustainability. He is actively involved in interdisciplinary research focused on PFAS removal and IoT-driven smart solutions for water management.
Dr. Sushil Kumar Himanshu is an Associate Professor and Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. He obtained his M.Tech in Hydrology and PhD in Water Resources Development and Management from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and conducted postdoctoral research at Texas A&M University. Dr. Himanshus research focuses on the applications of generative AI, remote sensing, and modeling applications for climate-smart water management. His research has been funded by ADB, World Bank, UN-FAO, USDA, and other agencies to support agricultural and aquacultural sustainability, food security, and water security. He is a co-editor of the Elsevier book Advances in Remediation Techniques for Polluted Soils and Groundwater.
