Encyclopedia of Lakes and Reservoirs

This is the fourth in the excellent Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences series volumes that I have reviewed. One point that has struck me is how the subject matter of the various books has affected the style and choice of the entries. Fresh water is vital for life on land. It is of critical importance to humans; for their survival and for industry and also for amenity and recreation. And, as the human population increases and more countries become industrialised these factors become more important. The supply, location and the quality of water has never been more critical.

This is the...