ISSN: 0262-6667 (Print) 2150-3435 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.

com/loi/thsj20

Book reviews

Gwyn Rees , Axel Bronstert & Vincent Kotwicki

To cite this article: Gwyn Rees , Axel Bronstert & Vincent Kotwicki (1998) Book reviews, , 43:3,
497-500, DOI: 10.1080/02626669809492141

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/02626669809492141

Published online: 25 Dec 2009.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 47

View related articles

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=thsj20
 Hydrological Sciences~Journal-des Sciences Hydrologiques, 43(3) June 1998
497

Book reviews

Climatic and Hydrological Atlas of Nepal

edited by Suresh R. Chalise
Published 1996 by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD), Mountain Natural Resources Division,
GPO Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal; 264 pp; price US$50;
ISBN 92 9115 600 0

Describing the climate and hydrology of mountainous regions is, at best, a very difficult
task. Nowhere is this task more difficult than in Nepal where the World's highest mountains
give rise to the most extreme topographic relief and climate variability. Yet, within its
project "Landslide Hazard Management and Control", the International Centre for
Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has risen to the challenge and produced what
is, to date, the most thorough and comprehensive assessment of climate in the region.
The Climatic and Hydrological Atlas of Nepal is the result of collaboration between
ICIMOD, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology of His Majesty's Government of
Nepal and the Central Department of Meteorology of Tribhuvan University, Nepal. The
Atlas is presented in three main sections; Section 1—Climatic Maps; Section 2—
Hydrological Maps/Figures; and Section 3—Explanatory Notes. A very useful transparency
is provided at the back which can be overlain onto the maps so the reader can relate the
climatological information to the location of certain towns, districts and mountain peaks.
Section 1 first introduces the 264 meteorological stations whose data were used to derive
the climatic maps. Two maps follow showing the location of each. A sequence of 36 maps is
then presented showing, in well-chosen vivid colours, intricate isoline maps of maximum,
minimum and mean monthly temperature. A single page in Section 3 describes the
regression model used to derive the temperature for 41 800 grid points at one minute
intervals. As borne out in Section 3, it is clear the remaining maps in Section 1 were derived
differently, from coarser grid data. These include maps of: mean monthly precipitation (12
maps); mean annual precipitation; mean monsoon precipitation: frequencies of rain days
(> 1.0 mm day"1 (12 maps), > 10 mm day1, >20 mm day"', >30 mm day4 (4 maps each,
June-September)); highest 24 hour precipitation; monthly relative humidity; and monthly
daily sunshine duration. Two sets of figures are presented at the end of the section: the first
showing monthly fog frequency for 12 selected stations; the second showing monthly
precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature for another 12 stations.
Section 2 begins with a list of the 47 hydrometric stations used in the Atlas. The
locations of these are shown on a map of the drainage system of Nepal. Three plates follow
which show the hydrographie schemes for three of Nepal's largest rivers: the Karnali, Sapta-
Gandaki and Sapta-Koshi. On the next page, a histogram is used to show the annual
discharge from Nepal's seven largest rivers, distinguishing between monsoon and non-
monsoon volumes. The Figure on the opposing page, comparing flood events in Nepal with
those in other parts of the World, would have been better illustrated with Nepalese events
highlighted in a different colour and with dates given against the specific events. Never-
theless, the Figure provides a good indication of extreme floods in Nepal and the problems
faced in determining the Probable Maximum Flood for civil works. The flow duration
curves (monthly and annual) for a "typical" Himalayan river are given on the following
page. The linear scale used on the y-axis makes it difficult to discern any variability at low
flows; a logarithmic scale would have been better in this respect. Two maps are then
presented: the first showing the drainage density for all rivers greater than 2 km in length
and the second showing the monthly average flow for eight major rivers by means of inset
histograms. A series of Figures then shows the flood frequency curves for 10 major rivers.
498 Book reviews

The penultimate Figure of the section illustrates the variation in the monthly flows for the
three types of hydrological regime prevalent in Nepal: a rain-fed regime; snow/rain-fed;
glacier/snow/rain-fed. The final Figure in Section 2 attempts to illustrate temporal changes
in the water balance over the year at three locations.
Section 3 provides explanations of the maps and figures presented in the preceding
sections. Clearly a considerable amount of work and effort went into to deriving the various
maps and it is somewhat disappointing that the descriptions in this section are so brief and
lacking in detail. With these notes at the back of the Atlas, it also proved frustrating to have
to flip back and forth to see how specific maps had been derived. Perhaps it would have
been better if the explanatory notes were printed alongside, opposite or on the reverse of the
maps and figures they refer to.
In his Preface, the author indicates that further editions of the Atlas are likely. A CD-
ROM version including maps available as down-loadable data coverages would be an ideal
way forward. This first draft of the Climatic and Hydrological Atlas of Nepal is,
nevertheless, an excellent production with maps, figures and tables all professionally
presented. It would surely be invaluable to anyone contemplating hydrological studies in
Nepal and, at a mere US$50 per copy, represents very good value for money.

Gwyn Rees
Institute of Hydrology, Wallingford, UK

Land, Water and Development (second edition)

by Malcolm Newson
Published 1997 by Routledge, 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE,
UK; 424 pp; price £19.99 (Paberback), £65 (Hardback);
ISBN 0 415 15507 X (Pb), ISBN 0 415 15506 1 (Hb)

This Second edition of Land, Water and Development provides a comprehensive holistic
description of the complex field of river basin development and management. It is a book
which will be of great value to geographers in both scientific and administrative
institutions in obtaining an overview on the various aspects and views of river basins and
the interrelations of the different key issues. The book is not written for design purposes,
and river engineers, planning hydrologists, or geomorphologists involved in the layout of
river construction (or restoration) projects or in land use plans will not find in it a
textbook of design tools and methods.
In the Prologue and Chapter 1, a comprehensive survey of the history and different
views of river basin management is given. Chapters 2 and 3 summarize the main
characteristics of a river system as a transfer system and the principle interactions of land
and water. Chapters 4 and 5 give examples of river basin management: while the
examples from the "developed world" are all taken from Anglo-Saxon countries, the
examples from the "developing world" are spread across the whole globe and mainly
study the problems of dry-land management. Chapters 6 and 7 discuss the technical and
the (British and a few international) institutional issues in river basin management, where
the technical issues focus mainly on erosion and sedimentation. Chapters 8 and 9 argue
sympathetically for a sustainability approach in river basin management and highlight the
rapidly increasing effects of global change impacts on the various aspects of a river basin
and its management. The book closes with an excellent bibliography and an inclusive
index.
The strength of this book is its comprehensiveness and its enjoyable written style in
which the author's long experience of the issue is reflected. Furthermore, the book urges
for an up-to-date ecosystem approach in an integrative manner to cope with the technical
and non-technical aspects of modern river basin management.
 Book reviews 499

The book does not provide much specific information on technical details or on
quantitative model approaches for the various design problems related to the daily work
of river basin management. For example, some guidelines and recommendations on how
to integrate the different aspects of flood risk in river basin management could usefully
have been included. Some numerical examples might have helped to illustrate how to
realize the rather general objective of an integrated and environmentally sound river
basin management. Also, the function of a river system as a biological transfer system
(e.g. the aspect of fish population and/or wildlife development) would deserve more
attention and a more extensive discussion in an ecosystem approach to river basin
management.

Axel Bronstert
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Germany

Ephemeral Rivers in the Tropics—Hydrological

Processes and Water Resources Assessment and
Management: A Review and Pathfinder
by Klas Sandstrôm
Published 1997 as Research Report no. 8 by Environmental Policy and
Society (EPOS), Linkoping University, Institute of Tenia Research,
S-58183 Linkoping, Sweden; 90 pp; ISBN 91 7871 987 9

All rivers are ephemeral in geological terms, but some are more ephemeral than others.
They occupy large arid and semiarid areas of the globe and provide much needed water to
millions of people. Books on them are as scarce as rainfall in a desert.
Ephemeral Rivers in the Tropics is a valuable contribution to the pool of hydrological
knowledge. How often do we see hydrological studies of arid areas done by engineers
trained in the wet zone and seemingly unaware of intricacies of the desert? This book is just
what it says in the subtitle: a review and pathfinder. The book addresses core problems of
hydrologists and water resources decision makers on physical, economical and social aspects
of water resources management in arid and semiarid areas. It endeavours to link water and
land issues, and to bridge the interface between natural preconditions on development and
how to manage scarce resources.
Sections of the book deal with description of the main characteristics of ephemeral
rivers in the dry tropical environment, hydrological processes and predicting water flow in
ephemeral river basins, techniques of collecting rapid runoff, and managing scarce water
resources. Results of numerous studies are presented, and the range of quoted parameters
helps to develop the so called "feel for numbers". The conclusion provides "rules of the
game" and several beacons to chart the road forward. These are based on modern concepts
of improving water use productivity, decentralization, privatization, and replacing supply
management by demand management.
The reader will find interesting summaries on sediment transport, the impact of
reservoirs, rainfall harvesting, groundwater dams and artificial groundwater recharge.
Several text boxes provide examples from both today's practices and from past civilizations.
An extended treatment of the subject would be highly welcome. Perhaps a major
international organization should pick up the tab and produce a textbook on the highly
peculiar and extreme hydrological conditions of ephemeral rivers. Arid zone hydrology is
considered to be one of the highest forms of art and science: yet any serious text for an
engineer in the field and for water resources managers is sadly missing. Reliable statistics
and regional data would also be in high demand.
500 Book reviews

Ephemeral Rivers in the Tropics is certainly welcome as an excellent introductory text

on ephemeral rivers in arid and semiarid areas of the globe and on water resources issues of
the hot desert. The book is very well researched and referenced, and will be a valuable
addition to any hydrological library. It can be expected that, in future, the natural place of
such a text is on the Internet, with links to all quoted-and other-material.

Vincent Kotwicki
MWR Dams Department
Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman

Publications received by the Editor

1. Global Change Newsletter no. 33, March 1998. Published by the International Geosphere-Biosphere
Programme of ICSU, IGBP Secretariat, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Box 50005,
S-10405 Stockholm, Sweden.
2. Stochastic Processes for Water Scientists: Developments and Applications by Robin T. Clarke. Published
1998 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd., Baffins Lane, Chichester, West Sussex Pol9 1UD, UK.
3. The Design, Performance, and Analysis of Slug Tests by James J. Butler. Published 1998 by Lewis
Publishers, CRC Press LLC, 2000 Corporate Blvd, NW, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, USA.
4. Introduction to Stormwater—Concept, Purpose, Design by Bruce K. Ferguson. Published 1998 by John
Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10158-0012, USA.

Forthcoming papers
The next issue of Hydrological Sciences Journal will be a Special Issue on Monitoring and Modelling of Soil
Moisture: Integration over Time and Space (papers from the Workshop, W3, held at Rabat, Morocco, April
1997). The following papers have been accepted for publication in that issue:

CORNELIS P. KIM & DARA ENTEKHABI: Impact of soil heterogeneity in a mixed-layer model of the planetary
boundary layer
PETER F. GERMANN & THOMAS NIGGLI: Dissipation of momentum during flow in soils
J. CHIKUSHI & O. HIROTA: Simulation of root development based on the dielectric breakdown model
A. MDAGHRI-ALAOUI & P. GERMANN: Kinematic wave approach to drainage flow and moisture distribution in a
structured soil
J. C GEHRELS, J.J. DE VRIES, J. E. M. PEETERS & M. DEKKERS: The mechanism of soil water movement as
18
inferred from 0 stable isotope studies
M. L. KAVVAS, Z.-Q. CHEN, L. TAN, S.-T. SOON, A. TERAKAWA, J. YOSHITANI & K. FUKAMI: A regional-
scale land surface parameterization based on areally-averaged hydrological conservation equations
L. P. SIMMONDS & E. J. BURKE: Estimating near-surface soil water content from passive microwave remote
sensing—an application of MICRO-SWEAT
J. D. KALMA & G. BOULET: Measurement and prediction of soil moisture in a medium-sized catchment
PETER J. VAN OEVELEN: Soil moisture variability: a comparison between detailed field measurements and remote
sensing measurement techniques
The following papers have been accepted for publication in forthcoming issues of Hydrological
Sciences Journal:
BONIFACIO FERNANDEZ L. & ANDRES VERGARA G.: Risk of scarcity of monthly precipitation and streamflows in
semiarid regions
T. P. BURT, J. K. ADAMSON & A. M. J. LANE: Long-term rainfall and streamflow records for north central
England: putting the Environmental Change Network site at Moor House (Upper Teasdale) in context
XUNGANG YIN & SHARON E. NICHOLSON: The water balance of Lake Victoria
WILLEM J. ZAADNOORDIJK: Transition from transient Theis wells to steady Thiem wells