The present work is a unique contributed volume under the editorship of Dr Asit K. Biswas. All contributors are international authorities in the water resources field, and were also directly associated with the models that are discussed. Because of the importance and timeliness of the work, it was sponsored by the United Nations Environment Program, and carries a Foreword by its Executive Director, Dr M. K. Tolba.
With increasing world population, and the need for a better quality of life, more and more water will be necessary for municipal, industrial, agricultural, and hydroelectric power generation purposes. As more water is used, more waste products are being discharged to water bodies, which reduces the water quality and thus water available for future use. Modelling is one of the very few new techniques that have been developed during the past decades for better water management.
Some models have now been developed for water quality management of rivers and lakes. Currently no other book is available which provides comprehensive information on modelling approaches used for different water bodies, depending on their objectives and local conditions. Models described in this book are from the United States, Canada, West Germany, England, Belgium, France, and Denmark. In addition to these selected case studies, there are two chapters on the state-of-the-art of river and lake models.
The book was primarily written because the Editor found that many scientists in different parts of the world were unaware of the latest developments in water quality modelling and were literally “rediscovering the wheel”. A major objective of the book is to ensure that, by providing relevant information, such unnecessary duplication, and thus the resulting wastage of resources and time, can be successfully eliminated.
The book has been carefully planned to ensure that only the important models developed are considered. A major criterion for selection of the models was that they can be successfully used in a real-world situation: in other words, they are not mere academic exercises. It is an example of how latest research developments can be transferred to the field to solve real-world problems. The book would thus be of immediate interest to all research scholars and practicing engineers associated with any aspect of water quality management.
Edited by Asit K. Biswas, 1981, McGraw-Hill, New York, 348 pages.
Models for Water Quality Management, Part I