Springer Coping with Drought Risk in Agriculture and Water Supply Systems: Drought Management and Policy Development in the Mediterranean: 26 (Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, 26)

This collection of papers has wide appeal. It includes subjects ranging from the social and hydrological context of Mediterranean countries, to the role of organizations and institutions in drought preparedness and case studies of effective interventions. From the Back Cover Today drought causes severe social problems and receives broad attention from the international scientific and policy communities. Drought management in the Mediterranean region exemplifies many other drought-prone regions with rapidly expanding populations that are placing increased pressure on already limited water supplies. The experiences in the development and implementation of drought management plans in the Mediterranean highlight the success and challenges of coping with drought for societies with different vulnerabilities. Based on these experiences and the current methods for evaluating risk, the book synthesises guidelines for drought management that can be applied to other regions. Coping with Drought Risk in Agriculture and Water Supply Systems addresses the growing issue of drought preparedness planning, monitoring, and mitigation which has worldwide application. The book collates considerable information from diverse disciplines. The information is presented to appeal to a broad scientific and policy audience seeking to develop proactive drought management plans effective for decreasing social vulnerability. This book has been written within the framework of the MEDROPLAN (Mediterranean Drought Preparedness and MItigation Planning) Project, co-funded by the European Union through the Euro-Mediterranean Regional Programme for Local Water Management (MEDA Water) and the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza - CIHEAM (Spain; Coordinator), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain), University of Cyprus (Cyprus), National Technical University of Athens (Greece), University of Catania (Italy), Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hasan II (Morocco), Canal de Isabel II (Spain), Confederación Hidrográfica del Tajo (Spain), Fundación Ecología y Desarrollo (Spain) and Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Environnement et des Ressources Hydrauliques (Tunisia).Audience:This book will be of interest to agricultural, water and land managers; policy-makers; researchers in natural hazards and risk management; graduate students in natural hazards, agricultural and water management, rural planning, policy development, and social development. About the Author Dr. Ana Iglesias is a Research Scientist at the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid in Spain and previously in the Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University in New York. Her research focuses in understanding the interactions of global change with agriculture and water resources. Scientific advances include national and regional evaluations of adaptation strategies, focusing in the risk of vulnerable populations. She has contributed to programs of the U.N. Environmental Programme, UNESCO, U.S. Agency for International Development, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She leads the development of Drought Management Guidelines within the MEDA program of the European Union. Prof. Luis Garrote is a Professor of Civil Engineering: Hydraulics and Energetics at the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid in Spain and received formal training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. His academic and scientific contributions to planning and management of hydrological systems include development of hydrological models, flood forecasting, reservoir management, and intelligent decision support systems. His distinguished professional record in the integrated water resources management includes collaborations with National and International Administrations. He has developed widely applied projects financed by the programs of research and development of private companies, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and the European Unio