Water Quality in the Third Pole

Water Quality in the Third Pole PDF

Author: Chhatra Mani Sharma

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2019-11-12

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 0128175249

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Water Quality in the Third Pole: The Roles of Climate Change and Human Activities offers in-depth coverage of water quality issues (natural and human-related), the monitoring of contaminants, and the remediation of water contamination. The book's chapters assess years of research on water quality and climate change in this fascinating and scientifically important region. Topics addressed include climate change impacts on water qualities of freshwater bodies, such as glaciers, lakes, rivers and precipitation. In addition, the book explains the growing concerns over water quality, such as mercury, trace elements, major ions, persistent organic pollutants and their circulation. As such, it is an essential reference for academics and policymakers interested in the water quality of natural bodies. Identifies key issues and problems, focusing on water quality in the Third Pole region under the changing scenarios of global climate change Provides updated information on water quality in a compiled form, mainly from climatically and lithologically distinct Himalayan regions Highlights the local and long-range transported inputs of pollutants in water bodies

Polar Environments and Global Change

Polar Environments and Global Change PDF

Author: Roger G. Barry

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2018-08-09

Total Pages: 445

ISBN-13: 1108423167

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Surveys atmospheric, oceanic and cryospheric processes, present and past conditions, and changes in polar environments.

Protecting the Third Pole

Protecting the Third Pole PDF

Author: Simon Marsden

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 1786437414

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This highly topical book considers the important question of how best to protect the environment of the Third Pole – the area comprising the Hindu Kush Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau – using the tool of international law. Following detailed analysis of the weaknesses in the current legal protections according to comparative legal theory, Simon Marsden recommends three potential options for implementation by policy and lawmakers.

Protection of the Three Poles

Protection of the Three Poles PDF

Author: Falk Huettmann

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-04-26

Total Pages: 346

ISBN-13: 4431540059

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The Arctic, the Antarctic, and the Hindu Kush-Himalayas form a trio of terrains sometimes called “the three poles”. Mainly composed of rock, snow, and ice, these precious regions, which are home to many unique species such as the polar bear, the emperor penguin, and the snow leopard, contain the primary water resource of this planet and directly shape our climate. This book presents a first-ever global assessment and progressive review of the three poles and demonstrates the urgent need for their protection. Sins of the past have irrevocably harmed and threatened many of the unique qualities of these regions, and the future looks bleak with the global population forecast to reach 9 billion by 2060, and with climate change on the rise. Presented here is a wide-reaching and coherent overview of the three poles’ biodiversity, habitats, and ongoing destruction. Failed protection and social targets set by the United Nations and other bodies are exposed while economic growth, unconstrained or inappropriate development, and urban sprawl are promoted unabated. Polar regions play a major role in the global agenda as they are rich in oil and other resources, marking them for contamination, overfishing, and further degradation. Tourism in the Antarctic has benefited from enlightened self-regulation, but there are signs that this is changing, too. The chapters of this book are written by experts in their fields, and their evidence leaves no doubt that we already live beyond our carrying capacity on a finite but decaying space. A global protection role model and several outlook scenarios are proposed to help set in motion polar protection priorities that are actually valid. Humanity has demonstrated through international treaties such as the Antarctic Treaty and the Madrid Protocol that we can put the interests of the planet as a whole first. This must become the norm, not the exception.

Himalayan Glaciers

Himalayan Glaciers PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2012-11-29

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 0309261015

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Scientific evidence shows that most glaciers in South Asia's Hindu Kush Himalayan region are retreating, but the consequences for the region's water supply are unclear, this report finds. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region is the location of several of Asia's great river systems, which provide water for drinking, irrigation, and other uses for about 1.5 billion people. Recent studies show that at lower elevations, glacial retreat is unlikely to cause significant changes in water availability over the next several decades, but other factors, including groundwater depletion and increasing human water use, could have a greater impact. Higher elevation areas could experience altered water flow in some river basins if current rates of glacial retreat continue, but shifts in the location, intensity, and variability of rain and snow due to climate change will likely have a greater impact on regional water supplies. Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security makes recommendations and sets guidelines for the future of climate change and water security in the Himalayan Region. This report emphasizes that social changes, such as changing patterns of water use and water management decisions, are likely to have at least as much of an impact on water demand as environmental factors do on water supply. Water scarcity will likely affect the rural and urban poor most severely, as these groups have the least capacity to move to new locations as needed. It is predicted that the region will become increasingly urbanized as cities expand to absorb migrants in search of economic opportunities. As living standards and populations rise, water use will likely increase-for example, as more people have diets rich in meat, more water will be needed for agricultural use. The effects of future climate change could further exacerbate water stress. Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security explains that changes in the availability of water resources could play an increasing role in political tensions, especially if existing water management institutions do not better account for the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region. To effectively respond to the effects of climate change, water management systems will need to take into account the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region. This means it will be important to expand research and monitoring programs to gather more detailed, consistent, and accurate data on demographics, water supply, demand, and scarcity.

Grasslands on the Third Pole of the World

Grasslands on the Third Pole of the World PDF

Author: Shikui Dong

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-10-09

Total Pages: 379

ISBN-13: 3031394852

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This book comprehensively covers the topics of origin and distribution, evolution and types, regional and global importance, biodiversity conservation, plant-soil interfaces, ecosystem functions and services, social-ecological systems, climate change adaptations, land degradation and restoration, grazing management and pastoral production, and sustainable future of the grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), which is a globally unique eco-region called the "Roof of the World" because of its high elevation, “Third Pole on Earth" because of its alpine environment and the "Water Tower in Asia" because of its headwater location. The grassland ecosystem covers above 60% of QTP, which is about 2.5 million km2, 1/4 of Chinese total territorial lands. The grassland ecosystem of the QTP (the Third Pole) is an important part of the palaearctic region, which features alpine cover and low oxygen. The Third Pole's grasslands not only provide important ecosystem functions such as biodiversity conservation, carbon storage, water resource regulation, climate control, and natural disaster mitigation at a global scale, but also provide critical ecosystem services such as pastoral production, cultural inheritance, and tourism and recreation at local and regional scales. The purposes of this monograph are to address the following questions: (1) What are the special features of the Third Pole's grasslands? (2) How have climate changes and human activities changed the structures and functions of the Third Pole's grasslands? (3) How can we cope with land degradation and climate change through innovative restoration and protective actions for Third Pole's grasslands? And (4) How can we promote the sustainable development of social-ecological systems of the Third Pole's grasslands through best management practices including grazing? The goal of this book is to attract the attention of international audiences to realize the importance of the Third Pole’s grasslands, and to call for the actions of global communities to effectively protect and sustainably use the Third Pole's grasslands. This book can be served as textbooks, teaching materials and documentaries for different audiences. The target audiences include students, teachers, researchers, policy makers, planners, government officials, and NGOs in agricultural, environmental and natural resources sectors.

Information Resources in Toxicology, Volume 1: Background, Resources, and Tools

Information Resources in Toxicology, Volume 1: Background, Resources, and Tools PDF

Author: Steve Gilbert

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2020-05-16

Total Pages: 1055

ISBN-13: 0128137258

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This new fifth edition of Information Resources in Toxicology offers a consolidated entry portal for the study, research, and practice of toxicology. Both volumes represents a unique, wide-ranging, curated, international, annotated bibliography, and directory of major resources in toxicology and allied fields such as environmental and occupational health, chemical safety, and risk assessment. The editors and authors are among the leaders of the profession sharing their cumulative wisdom in toxicology’s subdisciplines. This edition keeps pace with the digital world in directing and linking readers to relevant websites and other online tools. Due to the increasing size of the hardcopy publication, the current edition has been divided into two volumes to make it easier to handle and consult. Volume 1: Background, Resources, and Tools, arranged in 5 parts, begins with chapters on the science of toxicology, its history, and informatics framework in Part 1. Part 2 continues with chapters organized by more specific subject such as cancer, clinical toxicology, genetic toxicology, etc. The categorization of chapters by resource format, for example, journals and newsletters, technical reports, organizations constitutes Part 3. Part 4 further considers toxicology’s presence via the Internet, databases, and software tools. Among the miscellaneous topics in the concluding Part 5 are laws and regulations, professional education, grants and funding, and patents. Volume 2: The Global Arena offers contributed chapters focusing on the toxicology contributions of over 40 countries, followed by a glossary of toxicological terms and an appendix of popular quotations related to the field. The book, offered in both print and electronic formats, is carefully structured, indexed, and cross-referenced to enable users to easily find answers to their questions or serendipitously locate useful knowledge they were not originally aware they needed. Among the many timely topics receiving increased emphasis are disaster preparedness, nanotechnology, -omics, risk assessment, societal implications such as ethics and the precautionary principle, climate change, and children’s environmental health. Introductory chapters provide a backdrop to the science of toxicology, its history, the origin and status of toxicoinformatics, and starting points for identifying resources Offers an extensive array of chapters organized by subject, each highlighting resources such as journals, databases,organizations, and review articles Includes chapters with an emphasis on format such as government reports, general interest publications, blogs, and audiovisuals Explores recent internet trends, web-based databases, and software tools in a section on the online environment Concludes with a miscellany of special topics such as laws and regulations, chemical hazard communication resources, careers and professional education, K-12 resources, funding, poison control centers, and patents Paired with Volume Two, which focuses on global resources, this set offers the most comprehensive compendium of print, digital, and organizational resources in the toxicological sciences with over 120 chapters contributions by experts and leaders in the field

The Water Kingdom

The Water Kingdom PDF

Author: Philip Ball

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2017-05-05

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13: 022647092X

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From the Yangtze to the Yellow River, China is traversed by great waterways, which have defined its politics and ways of life for centuries. Water has been so integral to China’s culture, economy, and growth and development that it provides a window on the whole sweep of Chinese history. In The Water Kingdom, renowned writer Philip Ball opens that window to offer an epic and powerful new way of thinking about Chinese civilization. Water, Ball shows, is a key that unlocks much of Chinese culture. In The Water Kingdom, he takes us on a grand journey through China’s past and present, showing how the complexity and energy of the country and its history repeatedly come back to the challenges, opportunities, and inspiration provided by the waterways. Drawing on stories from travelers and explorers, poets and painters, bureaucrats and activists, all of whom have been influenced by an environment shaped and permeated by water, Ball explores how the ubiquitous relationship of the Chinese people to water has made it an enduring metaphor for philosophical thought and artistic expression. From the Han emperors to Mao, the ability to manage the waters ? to provide irrigation and defend against floods ? was a barometer of political legitimacy, often resulting in engineering works on a gigantic scale. It is a struggle that continues today, as the strain of economic growth on water resources may be the greatest threat to China’s future. The Water Kingdom offers an unusual and fascinating history, uncovering just how much of China’s art, politics, and outlook have been defined by the links between humanity and nature.