Agricultural Effects on Ground and Surface Waters:
Research at the Edge of Science and Society

edited by Joop Steenvoorden, Frans Claessen & Jaap Willems

IAHS Publication no. 273 (published April 2002) ISBN 1-901502-76-7; 414 + x pp. Price £63.50

Impacts of agriculture upon ground and surface waters are a reflection not only of activities at the farm level. Farmers’ decisions with respect to fertilizer use, crops to grow, livestock, etc., are made within environmental constraints set by regional and national policy makers.

This volume addresses the prevention and reduction of water pollution and water scarcity caused by agricultural activities in northern Europe and North America. Nitrogen and phosphate compounds are a major focus. The main themes:

are considered at the levels at which policy development and water management take place:

Attention is given to alternative approaches for policy making and the communication process between the parties involved: farmers, policy makers, interest groups in society, and scientists.

This book is one outcome of the International Conference on "Agricultural Effects on Ground and Surface Waters: Research at the Edge of Science and Society" (Wageningen, The Netherlands, October 2000). Another outcome was the Wageningen Statement, agreed by the conference participants, containing recommendations to governments and international organizations; it is included in the introduction to the book.

Alphabetical list of Authors
Key word index
Contents


     
  1. Introduction
     
     
  2. The Agricultural Production Unit

    2.1 Policy development

    2.2 Models for risk assessment

    2.3 Indicators for environmental performance

    2.4 Risk assessment by monitoring


     
  3. Hydrological and Environmental Policy in a Region

    3.1 Models for risk assessment

    3.2 Decision support for regional policy

    3.3 Risk assessment by monitoring


     
  4. Hydrological and Environmental Policy at National Level

    4.1 Decision support for national policy analysis

    4.2 Models and methods for national policy analysis

    4.3 The state of affairs of ground and surface water


     
  5. Scaling Up and Down