International experts respond to the question: what role can different reporting approaches, generally called water accounting systems, play in improving the management of water resources?

One of the most pressing global issues of the twenty-first century is the scarcity of water of a quality appropriate to ensure economic, environmental and social sustainability. In addressing the issue through policy and management, stakeholders recognize the importance of high-quality information.

They also recognize the need for this information to be reported systematically to ensure that it is relevant, reliable, understandable and comparable over time. That is the role of water accounting systems.

Many water accounting systems have developed over time. This book explores what types of accounting systems are in use, how they are used, and what problems they can resolve. It takes an international perspective, with content and authorship spanning the continents of Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe. It also addresses the role of water accounting in decision-making at individual, organizational, industry, national and international levels.

Table of Contents
Part I Water Accounting Systems
1.    Beyond the Hydrographers' Legacy: Water Accounting in Australia
2.    The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water: Development, Implementation and Use
3.    Water Footprint Accounting
4.    Water Accounting to Assess Use and Productivity of Water: Evolution of a Concept and New Frontiers

Part II Application and Evaluation of Water Accounting Systems
5.    Water Accounting in Mining and Minerals Processing
6.    Potential for the Application of General Purpose Water Accounting in South Africa
7.    Potential Role of Standardized Water Accounting in Spanish Basins
8.    Development and Application of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water in China
9.    Two Perspectives of Water Resource Accounting: Comparing the Australian and the United Nations Approaches

Part III Contemporary Issues Addressed by Water Accounting
10.  The Impossible Planetary Trust: Intergenerational Equity, Long-Term Investment and Water Governance and Regulation
11.  Water Accounting, Corporate Sustainability and the Public Interest
12.  Water Accounting and Conflict Mitigation
13.  The Role of a Water Accounting System in the Avoidance and Resolution of International Water Disputes
14.  Water Accounting Issues in California
15.  Accounting for Water Rights in the Western United States

Conclusion