Springer National Water Security: Case Study of an Arid Country: Tunisia

This book shows how the change of water paradigm has become urgent, and provides evidence for new policies that expand water balance to green and virtual water. The issue of water security concerns drinking water supply but also food safety, linked to agricultural policy. Both rain-fed and irrigated agriculture play complementary roles in food security, and the water issue implies a holistic view of water resources. This view constitutes the book's backstory. The reader will find original ideas that can be applied everywhere because the example of Tunisia is typically a basis to illustrate a universally prevalent situation. The book deals with other important issues: desalination, wastewater recycling, water quality, groundwater overdraft, water savings, governance, knowledge valuing, education, information: upgrading the whole water systems for the future implies emancipation of the whole society. Review “This book is very clear and easy to read, with an abundance of figures and diagrams. It offers very important information on the planning of water resource developments in arid countries, considering all technical and social alternatives to ‘classical’ water management based on large infrastructures (dams, well-fields, desalination plants, wastewater treatment, etc.). … I recommend this book to anyone interested in water and particularly to students learning about water resources and management.” (Ghislain de Marsily, Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration, Vol. 4, 2019) From the Back Cover This book shows how the change of water paradigm has become urgent, and provides evidence for new policies that expand water balance to green and virtual water. The issue of water security concerns drinking water supply but also food safety, linked to agricultural policy. Both rain-fed and irrigated agriculture play complementary roles in food security, and the water issue implies a holistic view of water resources. This view constitutes the book's backstory. The reader will find original ideas that can be applied everywhere because the example of Tunisia is typically a basis to illustrate a universally prevalent situation. The book deals with other important issues: desalination, wastewater recycling, water quality, groundwater overdraft, water savings, governance, knowledge valuing, education, information: upgrading the whole water systems for the future implies emancipation of the whole society. About the Author Mustapha Besbes is hydrogeologist, emeritus Professor at the National Engineering School of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar. He received the PhD in Hydrology (1967) and the Doctorat es sciences from the University Pierre & Marie Curie in Paris (1978). Pr Besbes was elected Foreign Member of the French Academy of sciences in 2009, and member of the Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts in 2013. World leader in arid zone hydrology, he coordinated the NWSAS (North Western Sahara Aquifer System) modeling process in the 2000s. He has published books and articles in hydrogeology and water management. He is chairman, reviewer or associate editor of journals in hydrological sciences. Mustapha Besbes is member or head of numerous scientific commissions, councils, boards and task forces.  Jamel Chahed is a hydraulics engineer and Doctor es sciences, Professor at the National Engineering School of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar. His work focuses on transfers in industrial and environmental fluid systems, atmospheric dispersion, water governance and water management. His research has appeared as articles, books, book chapters, conference acts in specialized literature such as hydrology, water resources management, hydraulics, turbulence and transfers, environmental engineering. He actively contributed to the development of long-term vision for water security with a thematic focus on holistic water balance assessment. He has been involved i