Aims and ScopeThe series aims at fostering the discussion on the complex relationships between physical landscapes, natural resources, and their modification by human land use in various environments of Asia. It is widely acknowledged that human-environmentinteractions become increasingly important in area studies and development research, taking into account regional differences as well as bio-physical, socioeconomic and cultural particularities.The book series seeks to explore theoretic and conceptual reflection on dynamic human-environment systems applying advanced methodology and innovative research perspectives. The main themes of the series cover urban and rural landscapes in Asia. Examples include topics such as land and forest degradation, glaciers in Asia, mountain environments, dams in Asia, medical geography, vulnerability and mitigation strategies, natural hazards and risk management concepts, environmental change, impacts studies and consequences for local communities. The relevant themes of the series are mainly focused on geographical research perspectives of area studies, however there is scope for interdisciplinary contributions. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work.Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Foreword 1This is a time when the global impacts of human society are pushing governments around the world to actively search for new strategies to protect their social and economic assets from the threat of rapid climate change and its ecological and geomorphic consequences. Nowhere is this more apparent than in South and East Asia. China has recently engaged in the largest river impoundment project in this planet's history. In 2007 the Supreme Court of India orders the national government to proceed with planning for an engineering feat of unprecedented scope and scale: the hydrologic interlinking of all of the subcontinents major river basins for the purpose of equitable distribution and use of monsoon rains. In 2009 South Korea began its Four Major Rivers Restoration project. Already well underway, the government is committed to spending over $14 billion dollars in a little as 3 years to massively alter channel storage and conveyance capacities; ostensibly in response to anticipated water shortages to come. Rivers and coastlines, because they are the most obvious interfacing between the hydrosphere and our continental homes, are the front lines along which much of drama of human adaptation to climate change will play out.It is appropriate then, that we find ways now to step back, and carefully review our experiences and history with regard to that age-old dance be...
