Hydrology and water management of Deltaic areas

The present publication deals with the manu-sided problems involved in the utilisation of deltaic and other low-lying coastal areas. At present, these regions constitute the most rapidly developing areas on earth due to their high economic value and their steadily increasing population. At the same time, they are typically wetland landscapes and should be considered as valuable ecological assets because of their great diversity of fresh, brackish and saline environments. Conservation of these assets may clash with the interests of economic development. A well-balanced and harmonious development of such coastal areas is one of the most important issues facing mankind, for which a satisfactory solution still has to be found. This publication aims at maing a contribution to the resolution of these problems by highlichting a number of these aspects. Some of these aspects belong to entirely different disciplines and the contributing experts have attempted to present their know-how in a form that is readily understandable to a wide audience.