Water security has received increasing attention in the scientific and public policy communities in recent years. The Handbook on Water Security is a much-needed resource that helps the reader navigate between the differing interpretations of water security. It explains the various dimensions of the topic by approaching it both conceptually and thematically, as well as in relation to experiences in different regions of the world.The international contributors explore the various perspectives on water security to show that it has multiple meanings that cannot easily be reconciled. Topics discussed include: challenges from human security to consumerism, how trade policies can help to achieve water security in a transboundary setting, the potential of risk-based governance arrangements and the ecology of water security. Scholars and postgraduate students in the social sciences working on water-related issues will find this book to be of substantial interest. It will strongly appeal to policymakers and practitioners looking at the strengths and limitations of water security. Contributors: L. Addams, J. Allouche, L.Auguste, K. Bakker, M.H.N. Bakker, M. Ballesteros, A. Bhaduri, J. Bogardi, H.G. Brauch, S.E. Bunn, I. Burgher, N. Cenacchi, K.I. Conti, C. Cook, A.C. de la Cruz, J.W. Dellapenna, L. De Stefano, P. Droogers, S. Elsawah, I. Fischhendler, A. Garrido, S. Gruber, J. Gupta, N. Hernández-Mora, P. Huntjens, A.J. Jakeman, K. Knüppe, N. Kukuri , F.P. Lansigan, K. Lexén, J. Liu, E. López-Gunn, F. Ludwig, J.H. Matthews, L. Mehta, R. Meissner, F. Meza, D. Nathan, A. Nicol, P. Obani, Ú. Oswald Spring, C. Pahl-Wostl, M.J. Patrick, C. Ringler, D. Rodriguez, C.A. Scott, S. Srivastava, B. Stewart-Koster, T.B. Sulser, R. Treguer, M. van den Heuvel, H. van Schaik, B.A. Willaarts, J. Xia, H. Yang, T. Zhu

Table of Contents:
Contents: 1. Water Security: A Popular but Contested Concept Claudia Pahl-Wostl, Joyeeta Gupta and Anik Bhaduri PART I: CONCEPTUAL PERSPECTIVES 2. Water Security: Critical Analysis of Emerging Trends and Definitions Christina Cook and Karen Bakker 3. Water Security: Past, Present and Future of a Controversial Concept Janos Bogardi, Úrsula Oswald Spring and Hans Günter Brauch 4. Water Securities and the Individual: Challenges from Human Security to Consumerism Jeremy Allouche, Alan Nicol, Lyla Mehta and Shilpi Srivastava 5. The Social Construction of Water Security Discourses: Preliminary Evidence and Policy Implications from the Middle East Itay Fischhendler and Daniel Nathan 6. Water Security, Systemic Risks and Adaptive Water Governance and Management Claudia Pahl-Wostl 7. How Trade Policies Can Help to Achieve Water Security in a Transboundary Setting Anik Bhaduri 8. Water Sovereignty and Security, High Politics and Hard Power: The Dangers of Borrowing Discourses! Joyeeta Gupta, Joseph W. Dellapenna and Marcel van den Heuvel PART II: THEMATIC PERSPECTIVES 9. Perspectives on Climates Change Impacts and Water Security Fulco Ludwig, Henk van Schaik, John H. Matthews, Diego Rodriguez, Marloes H.N. Bakker, Patrick Huntjens, Karin Lexén and Peter Droogers 10. Groundwater and Security Kirstin I. Conti, Neno Kukurić and Joyeeta Gupta 11. Role of Water Security for Agricultural and Economic Development – Concepts and Global Scenarios Claudia Ringler, Tingju Zhu, Sebastian Gruber, Ronan Treguer, Laurent Auguste, Lee Addams, Nicola Cenacchi and Timothy B. Sulser 12. Human Security and Access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: Exploring the Drivers and Nexus Pedi Obani and Joyeeta Gupta 13. The Ecology of Water Security Ben Stewart-Koster and Stuart E. Bunn 14. Water Security and Environmental Water needs: The Role of The Ecosystem Services Concept and Transformation of Governance Systems Claudia Pahl-Wostl and Kathrin Knüppe 15. Secure Water Supply in Water-Scarce Regions Francisco Meza and Christopher A. Scott PART III REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES 16. Water Security or Water ‘Securities’? Increasing Complexity in Balancing of Multiple Goals in Spain Elena López-Gunn, Mario Ballesteros, Lucia De Stefano, Alberto Garrido, Nuria Hernández-Mora and Bárbara A. Willaarts 17. Water Security in Southern Africa: Discourses Securitising Water and the Implications for Water Governance and Politics Richard Meissner 18. Water Security – China Perspective Hong Yang and Junguo Liu, Jun Xia 19. Water Security in Southeast Asia Region Felino P. Lansigan and Amparo C. dela Cruz 20. Australian Water Security: A Water–Food–Enironment–Energy Nexus Perspective M.J. Patrick, Sondoss Elsawah, Isabela Burgher and Anthony J. Jakeman Index