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Water Security for Ecosystems

Metrics and Pathways for a Sustainable Future

  • 1st Edition - July 1, 2026
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Amit Kumar, Uğur Korkut Pata, Saikat Sinha Ray, Sushil Kumar Himanshu
  • Language: English

Water Security for Ecosystems: Metrics and Pathways for a Sustainable Future explores the mechanisms to support sustainable management of aquatic resources in the context of rising… Read more

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Description

Water Security for Ecosystems: Metrics and Pathways for a Sustainable Future explores the mechanisms to support sustainable management of aquatic resources in the context of rising global water demand, global change, and population growth. By identifying resource consumption indicators such as fishing load capacity and virtual water trade, this book 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.

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.

Water Security for Ecosystems acknowledges the increased strain placed on global aquatic ecosystems due to unsustainable water use, extractive fisheries and agricultural practices, pollution, and inefficient governance. Addressing these challenges will necessitate a multidisciplinary approach centered on sustainable water management, strengthened transboundary water governance, responsible consumption policies, and global investment to reduce our aquatic ecological footprint. By integrating science, policy, and community engagement in multidisciplinary management recommendations, this book positions itself as an essential resource for water resource managers, researchers, and policymakers alike.

Key features

  • Supports UN SDGs through policy integration, including the UNFCCC Paris Agreement, to strengthen water security and minimize ecological footprints
  • Defines water security concepts and provides indicators for sustainable water resource extraction and use
  • Evaluates water surface sustainability with a new approach based on fishing load capacity
  • Promotes sustainability via efficient water management, pollution control, and responsible consumption

Readership

Conservationists, resource managers, environmental scientists, and academic researchers focused on sustainable water use and water security

Table of contents

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

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: July 1, 2026
  • Language: English

About the editors

AK

Amit Kumar

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. Kumar’s 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 Elsevier’s Climate Change in the Himalayas, and is an advisory board member for the Elsevier journal Ecological Indicators.

Affiliations and expertise
Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, School of Hydrology and Water Resources, Nanjing, China

UP

Uğur Korkut Pata

Dr. Uğur 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.

Affiliations and expertise
Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Hatay, Turkey

SR

Saikat Sinha Ray

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.

Affiliations and expertise
SRM University-AP, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kattankulathur, India

SH

Sushil Kumar Himanshu

Dr. Sushil Kumar Himanshu is an Assistant Professor of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources at the 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. Himanshu’s 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.
Affiliations and expertise
Assistant Professor, Department of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, School of Environment, Resources, and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, Pathum Thani, Thailand