Environmental problems in the humid tropical regions, where the focus is on the fate and management of the surviving rainforest and climate change, are attracting increasing attention internationally. The distribution of tropical rainfall is highly variable, and in many regions the supply of potable water is inadequate. By the end of the century one-third of the world's population will be living in the humid tropics. This book considers all aspects of hydrology in the humid tropics. The first four parts of the book cover the physical basis of hydrology in the humid tropics: climatology, meteorology, process hydrology, sedimentation, water quality and freshwater ecology. This is followed by extensive treatment of the human and societal issues: land-use changes, water resource management, and rural and urban water supply in the tropical regions. The book is a uniquely integrated summary of hydrology in the tropics.
