BOOK REVIEWS
CLIMATE CHANGE 2001– IMPACTS,
ADAPTATION, VULNERABILITY
Edited by James J. McCarthy and
Osvaldo F. Canziani
Cambridge University Press
New York, NY
(2001) 1,032 pages Softcover
ISBN 0-521-01500-6
U.S. List Price: $49.95
Science urgently needs to bring its best
knowledge to bear on climate change policy-making. However, this knowledge often
suffers from the uncertainties that are part
of any complex natural systems. Both the
sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and vulnerability of human systems to climate change,
and its potential consequences are assessed
in this report by Working Group II of the
I n t e rg o v e rnmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC).
The study builds upon past assessment
efforts to strengthen its conclusions, which
projects an increase in surface temperatures
over the next 100 years of 1.4 to 5.8°C, and
an attendant rise in sea level of 0.09-0.88
meters. This warming range is substantially
higher than the one given in the 1995 IPCC
Second Assessment Report.
Changes in both climate variability and
the frequency and intensity of extreme
weather events have consequences–
drought, flood, crop damage, coastal damage, increased forest fires, and wind damage—to name but a few examples. This
assessment proposes that these events are a
consequence of the historically unprecedented higher temperature gradient
between the atmosphere, ocean, and soil.
The book also proposes that the combined challenge of climate change and a
burgeoning population could see water
allocations for agricultural, industrial, and
domestic use shifting in some locations in
ways that place serious stress on existing
urban centers and land use practices. If history is to be a guide, these stresses may not
be sustainable.
How should we best proceed in making policy when scientific and engineering
assessments are uncertain? The IPCC study,
in a summary for policymakers, describes
the current state of understanding about
impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability.
Throughout, it attempts to deflect criticisms
by explaining background assumptions for
all scenarios and current understanding of
the uncertainties, while presenting some
O12 October 2001
reassuring lessons that have emerged from
these efforts.
While addressing sustainable development issues, adaptation, and learning, the
IPCC Working Group II has attempted to
identify and disseminate fresh ideas in a
transdisciplinary context to catalyze
change. Such assessment approaches are
essential in dealing with large-scale, longterm, complex, and interlinked issues like
sustainable development and climate
change.
The IPCC community has alre a d y
proven cohesive and resilient in the face of
determined attacks on their credibility. The
i n t e rdisciplinary mix of contributing
researchers has continued to evolve to
meet the expanding scope of the effort.
Many of the contributors stand out among
the top rank of scientists actively supporting the view that there is indeed an anthropogenic impact on climate. The strong support for the report by this high pro f i l e
g roup of scientists have led to attacks
claiming that this effort is “advocacy, not
assessment.” Such criticisms ring somewhat
hollow coming from lobbyists who have
been funded solely to discredit research in
this arena. What is unprecedented is that,
on this issue of importance, a scientific consensus is emerging, unconstrained by the
economic and political ramifications of the
findings.
While the lion’s share of reporting on
the recent Sixth Conference of the Parties
(COP-6) to the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change has focused on rifts
between the EU and the “Umbrella Group”
of countries, including the United States,
Canada, and Japan, it’s premature to speculate that intergovernmental negotiations on
climate change have irretrievably broken
down. It is important to give credit to the
momentum gathering outside the negotiating halls, and the recent and rapid changes
in attitude and awareness among non-governmental groups—including business and
industry, environmental groups, and the
media—on global climate change, and the
impact of these changes on the overall
debate. Whether the scientific consensus
presented here is one with which are you
comfortable ... or not, this report defines
the climate debate.
Review by:
Richard D. Doctor, P.E.
Hydrogen and Greenhouse Gas
Engineering
Energy Systems Division
Argonne National Laboratory
9700 South Cass Avenue
Argonne, Illinois 60439
WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING: 1ST
EDITION
by Larry W. Mays
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
New York, NY
(2001) 768 pages Hardcover
ISBN 0-471-29783-6
U.S. List Price: $110.80
Water resources engineering involves
management of both use and excess management of this precious liquid. Fundamental water resources engineering processes
involve both hydrologic and hydraulic
processes. The latter include pressurized
pipe flow, open-channel flow, and groundwater flow, while the former include rainfall, evaporation, infiltration, rainfall-runoff,
and routing. Knowledge of both these
processes is critical to the design and analysis work at the heart of water re s o u rc e
engineering.
These concepts are also at the heart of
this 17-chapter reference book which is
divided into four parts that cover
hydraulics, hydrology, engineering analysis
and design for water use, and engineering
analysis and design for water excess management. Part I consists of six chapters that
introduce the basic processes of hydraulics:
water resources, basic fluid mechanics principles, control volume approach for continuity, energy, and momentum, pressurized
pipe flow, open channel flow, and groundwater flow.
Part II cover the basics of hydrology in
four chapters on hydrologic processes,
rainfall-runoff analysis and routing, and
probability and frequency analysis. Part III’s
three chapters applies engineering analysis
and design principles to water use addressing water withdrawals and uses, water distribution systems, and water for hydroelectric generation.
Environmental Progress (Vol.20, No.3)
The book concludes with Part IV, four
chapters relating to water analysis and
design for water excess management,
including storm water control, storm sewers and detention, street and highway
drainage and culverts, and design of
hydraulic structure for flood control storage
systems.
This textbook is intended as a reference
for practicing hydraulic engineers, civil
engineers, mechanical engineers, environmental engineers, and hydrologists. It also
can be used for teaching undergraduate
courses in hydraulics, water resources engineering, and hydrology. Numerous sample
problems are presented in the book making the theory more applicable and under-
Environmental Progress (Vol.20, No.3)
standable, both to students and practicing
engineers. An Instructor’s Resource CDROM, which has solutions to all the problems contained in the book, is also available.
Review by:
Robert W. Peters, Ph.D., P.E.
Associate Professor of
Environmental Engineering
Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering
University of Alabama at Birmingham
1075 13th Street South
Birmingham, AL 35294-4440
October 2001 O13