Reviews (1)

A great, informative look at a controversial saga.
In California, the battle for water between Los Angeles and the Owens Valley still rages to this day, and Professor Abraham Hoffman's scholarly work sheds some well-reseached light upon this 80-year old contest. Between 1905 and 1913, Los Angeles built the L.A.-Owens River Aqueduct, the largest public engineering project in the world, to divert the waters of Owens River to feed the rapidly-growing city of Los Angeles, 233 miles to the south. One man, William Mulholland, was the star in this drama, and to this day has taken the brunt of blame for the controversies involved. Was he really to blame, was it that simple, or were there other people and powerful forces exerting their influence on the events that shaped the California we know today? Expand your knowledge by reading this book! After you do, you may never feel the same about turning on the faucet. The only real flaw in this book is in the reproduction printing. Historic photos and images that were rich and vibrant in the original hardcover are blurry and scored with moire' patterns due to poor reproduction. Otherwise, it's a must for your bookshelf. ... Read more

Book Description

Among development assistance agencies, the World Bank has led the way in policies to mitigate the impact of large-scale engineering projects on local populations, particularly in the building of dams. Since the 1980s the Bank has implemented guidelines for policies with respect to displacement, social infrastructure and services, environmental effects, resettlement, compensation, and the restoration of income for those affected. Having learned from the failures of past resettlement programs, the Bank has endeavored to function as a responsible and caring agency. This volume builds upon earlier studies and field work to offer a broad look at dam-building projects in six countries and to review the outcomes of Bank policy, learn from experience, and assess outside criticism.

The book covers representative dam projects in India, Thailand, Togo, China, Indonesia, and Brazil. Each project was undertaken after Bank resettlement guidelines had been implemented. The widely ranging results in each country are assessed. In the areas of compensation for acquired land, relocation, infrastructure and services, the contributors note satisfactory levels of improvement or positive trends. Governments are moving towards acceptance of the idea that displaced families should be paid the real value of their lost assets. Relocation processes are now keeping pace with water movement caused by dam building, and health, education, utilities, and roads are better than before the resettlement.

Other results have been less positive. The impact on incomes of those involuntarily resettled has been harsh in some locations. Resettler dissatisfaction has been intense, notably in those countries where the national economies are not experiencing strong growth. The Bank's performance itself has been uneven. There have been lapses in appraisal and monitoring during the projects and insufficient follow-through support for resettlement operations after the completion of loan and credit disbursements. In addition to its case by case analysis of countries and projects, the book includes detailed lessons and recommendations to strengthen resettlement policy and practice. Involuntary Resettlement will be of interest to economists, sociologists, and professionals working in regional development policy. ... Read more

Book Description

This study of India's large dams is set in the dual context of state politics and social classes. It argues that efforts to spend public resources on these dams are not only uneconomical and non-sustainable, but have been monopolized by a privileged few. In confronting issues of water control, the book also examines larger environmental concerns. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Essential for the Skeptical Economist
This book analyzes dams from an almost entirely economic perspective.If you fear that the abolition of large dams might be an economic disaster -- this book is for you.If your eyes usually glaze over numbers, rest assured that they won't glaze over these numbers.These are figures and charts that will keep you awake at night.

Taking into consideration the fact that ninety percent of large dams are built for irrigation purposes, it seems that the most momentous argument against large dams is one which shows that large dams do not significantly benefit irrigation, and that small dams would be economically more efficient.

According to Singh, "It has been seen that the cost-benefit analysis is not conducted ex-post to conclude on the actual as against projected returns from a large irrigation project.There is thus no method of concluding on the economic returns from a project.Given this arrangement there is little debate or scrutiny on the economic performance of large dams.It is therefore little wonder that large irrigation projects are running at huge current account losses and are poorly managed at the planning, construction and implementation stages, leading to targets going haywire." (Singh 101)

Singh goes on to explain that there is serious debate as to whetherlarge dams or small dams would be more economically efficient.Both sides of the debate bring up valid points, but it appears that in terms of economic efficiency, large dams are overall just slightly more efficient.Singh critiques B.D. Dhawan's argument, an irrigation economist, who points out that it is "inappropriate to compare the irrigation projects on the basis of unit capital cost" (Singh 111).Dhawan believes that there are other costs that should be taken into consideration, such as the fact that large dams use the natural force of gravity to operate, while minor dams "require energy for countering the pull of gravity."The operational costs, according to him, are much higher for minor dam projects when compared with large dams (Singh 112).

Dhawan is definitely right in assuming that factors other than unit capital cost should be taken into consideration -- but yet he forgot to calculate the social costs into his final equation .Why don't we take facts such as unsatisfactory rehabilitation, environmental damage, unbalanced distributions of electricity and water into consideration when developing a BC (benefit / cost) ratio?Why hasn't the fact that the majority of large dam projects take years more to complete than originally estimated -- and thus end up having higher labor fees -- been into consideration?Why hasn't the fact that the majority of dams don't live up to their proposed purposes, and don't last as long as anticipated been taken into consideration?Why haven't the people and their opinions been taken into consideration during the process of constructing these high-priced projects? Why haven't they been informed of the consequences of the dams? Clearly, as Singh points out, there are many flaws with using this system of analysis on its own.

Singh is probably the most unbiased writer I've read who addresses this issue, but he definitely makes his position known (it's hard not to, when writing on an issue such as this). The entire concluding chapter is full of interesting ideas of alternative for large dams. ... Read more

Book Description

Climate and Water: Transboundary Challenges in theAmericas explores some of the ways that climate, hydrology, andwater resource management converge at the borders betweenjurisdictions and countries in the western Hemisphere. This book isunique in focusing on case studies of climate-hydrology-water resourcemanagement in diverse contexts in South, Central, and North America.This book is singular in highlighting important problems arising fromthe very existence of boundaries drawn and defined by society.Addressing such problems takes on increasing urgency as the worldbecomes ever more inter connected and interdependent. Target groups for this book include water resource managers anddecision makers at levels from the international to the local;scientists involved in interdisciplinary studies of basic and appliedclimatology, hydrology, and environmental studies; and readersspecializing in institutional analyses, including transboundary waterlaw, policy analysis, and risk assessment. This book is also a usefultext for college classes addressing natural resources management ingeneral, and the transfer of scientific knowledge to society. ... Read more

Book Description

James Earl Sherow contends that a vast network of problems in the arid West has sprung from the mistaken notion that water is a commodity to be bought, sold, and traded. This ill-conceived approach to water development, he argues, has resulted in social problems as well as abuse of the environment. In this volume he tells the story of the inhabitants of the "Valley of Content," the High Plains section of the Arkansas River Valley, during the formative period of settlement and development. It was their desire for growth, he maintains, that spurred the construction of the very dams, reservoirs, and water conveyance structures that would ultimately undermine their success. He documents their attempts--both fanciful and fruitful--to bring the river under their control, the waves of new problems that followed each new 'solution,' and the conflict and cooperation the process engendered.

This book is part of the Development of Western Resources series. ... Read more

Book Description

The Llano Estacado straddles the Texas-New Mexico border, nestled between the Texas Panhandle and the Pecos River Valley. It was described by early Spanish explorers as an arid, featureless landscape, and, according to Mexican and Anglo-Texan lore, was the last refuge of the uncivilized. The region attracted Comancheros, marauding outlaws and renegades who plagued civil society.

This book traces the history of the Llano Estacado -especially its radical transformations following the Civil War as railroads opened the beef trade, the discovery of rich oil deposits in the 1920s, and the decision made in the 1930s to tap the Southern Ogallala Aquifer to irrigate the region's farms. The authors focus in part on the consequences of modern irrigation, and concerns that the Ogallala Aquifer-a storehouse of fossil water dating back to the post-Cretaceous period-will be depleted. They conclude that the Llano Estacado is a "partially threatened" region, and explore its future sustainability. ... Read more

Book Description

This book covers all aspects of water resources engineering, from hydrology, hydraulics, and hydraulic structures to engineering economy studies and planning. It shows applications of these basics to water supply, irrigation, hydroelectric power, river navigation, drainage, waste water collection, treatment and disposal, and flood control. Multi-purpose projects are discussed in the chapter on planning. Over 400 problems are available for student homework assignments. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Experience after reading the book by Ray K Linsley (Author)
The book serves as best teacher.Being a water resource engineer,it gives me pride to read the rich experience inherited by the great author and makes me more energetic in applying the theory in to real practice.
In order to ripe the fruits in the book by a large community,in practice, in this field, in the third world,it need less to emphasise that the these editions , may be made available at prices amenable to the users.I hope every water resource engineer should have a copy of the book thus satisfying the possible great objective of author Ray K Linsley and co authors for popularising the system as a whole for the benefit of users.

Superbly written, easy to understand
This is an outstanding book despite being over 10 years old. The clarity of the text and examples is far superior to the average text. One of the few books I have been able to easily learn new material from without having the benefit of a class to attend.

Nuts and Bolts on Water Engineering
This was my textbook for Water Resources during Engineering School in the Spring of 1985. I have the Third Edition. It is well worn, underlined, highlighted and annotated, evidence of a very useful book! At my current position as Water Engineer at an Air Force Base, it is at the top of my shelf with my most used refernces. The right mix of theory and application. You will need a basic knowledge of Fluid Mechanics to use this text effectively.

The best WRE book that also keeps up with the times
This book is one of the few books that introduced me to Water Resources Engineering as a student and I am still using it more than twenty years later as a University teacher and a Professional Consultant!

It contains some hydrology, some probability, some engineering economy, and some water resources planning to supplement the material on hydraulic machines and structures, water resources projects such as hydropower, wastewater treatment, irrigation, river engineering/navigation, flood damage mitigation, and water supply. It also has worked examples, exercises, and useful tables.

This book does not overload you with verbosity. It just gives you enough to make a topic sufficiently clear for one to proceed with using the same in real situations.

The Metcalf and Eddy of Water Resources
As part of the McGraw Hill series in Environmental Engineering, this book covers all aspects of Water Resource Engineering from Hydraulics to Hydrology to Water Supply and Flood Control.

The book contains many useful reference tables and descriptive graphs and illustrations as well as all the standard equations and calculation methods. The book also gives tables and empirical equations in both Imperial and SI units.

The indented audience for the book is a professional engineer and may be beyond the general reader. ... Read more

Book Description

Water Resource Engineering: Handbook of Essential Methods of Analysis and Design presents practical methods to solve problems commonly encountered by practicing water resources engineers in day-to-day work in the fields of hydrology, hydraulics, groundwater, hydraulic designs, hydropower, environmental impact evaluation, and remedial investigations. Numerous illustrative examples are provided based on the author’s extensive experience in academia and consulting practice throughout the world. Dr. Prakash transforms well-known theoretical equations into easy-to-use solutions, rather than complex theoretical explanations. The concise manner in which this handbook is presented makes it useful for any consulting water resources engineer. ... Read more

Book Description

According to some estimates, at least 1.7 billion people do not have an adequate supply of drinking water and as many as 40% of the world's population face chronic shortages. Yet water scarcity is more than a matter of terrain, increased population, and climate. It can also be a byproduct or end result of water management, where the building of dams, canals, and complicated delivery systems provide water for some at the cost of others, and result in short-term gains that wreak long-term ecological havoc. Water scarcity can also be a product of the social systems in which we live.

Water, Culture, and Power presents a series of case studies from around the world that examine the complex culture and power dimensions of water resources and water resource management. Chapters describe highly contested and contentious cases that span the continuum of water management concerns from dam construction and hydroelectric power generation to water quality and potable water systems. Sections examine:

Book Description

An investigative journalist explores our world on the brink of running out of usable water.

Less than .0008 percent of the total water on Earth is fit for human consumption, but global consumption of fresh water is doubling every twenty years. Water has become perhaps our most precious commodity-a life-sustaining but increasingly rare and privatized resource. A dramatic gap exists between those who have adequate water for survival and those who don't, and tensions over water in some areas of the world hover just below open war.

From Europe to Asia to Africa to America, Jeffrey Rothfeder has visited the world's hot spots, those with the least amount of water, as well as places where there is so much of it that plans are in the works to sell the excess to the highest bidder. In this compelling narrative account of our world in turmoil over water, Rothfeder describes the issues and struggles of the people on all sides of the water crisis: from the scarred survivors of bizarre water-management practices, to those who are willing to die for water to sustain their families and crops, to the scientists and leaders who are trying to set things straight.

Important, provocative, and immensely readable, Every Drop for Sale explores a fascinating critical dilemma: As we run out of it, is water a fundamental right of everybody on Earth or just a product humans need that can be bought and sold like any other commodity? ... Read more