This is a very exciting book. Water security is a current and very important topic, but at the same time, the term is used in many different ways. Rather than suppressing this diversity, it is embraced here and used as a strength to illuminate the various possible meanings of the term - and their implications, which are assessed in a critical way by a group of excellent authors. This book will play a central role in the debate on water governance for years to come.'
- Dave Huitema, Netherlands Open University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands'Water security has risen to the top of the international agenda for policymakers and enterprise. This comprehensive and insightful volume advances our understanding of water security by drawing on leading researchers from a range of disciplines - but with a common focus: identifying pathways to adaptive governance in a context of complexity and rapid environmental change. It provides an indispensable resource for researchers and practitioners.'
- Dustin Garrick, McMaster University, US

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