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Worldwide, urbanization has already reached unprecedented levels in the estuarine and coastal zone. This is particularly the case in the Asia Pacific region where mega-cities and mega-harbours have developed and are still growing. As a result environmental degradation is significant and growing. This book details how science can provide solutions so that economic and social developments can be ecologically sustainable. This book demonstrates the different solutions and pitfalls, successes and failures in a large number of ports and harbours in the Asia Pacific Region, and this will be based on science and aimed at management.
Twelve sites are discussed in detail, integrating physics and biology. These are Tokyo Bay, the Pearl Estuary, Hong Kong, Shanghai and the Yangtze delta, Klang, Manila Bay, Jakarta Bay, Pearl Harbour, Ho Chi Minh City and the new harbour on the Thi Vai River, Bangkok and coastal waters of the upper Gulf of Thailand, Singapore and Darwin. This is the shoreline of about 50 million people and the coastal waters of about 500 million people. The social, economic and environmental problems are pressing and call for science-based solutions that are addressed by this challenging book. Thirty internationally recognised, prominent scientists and engineers in universities and research centres in all these cities contributed the chapters in this book.
The dominant scientific approach that will be demonstrated is understanding and quantifying how the impacted estuarine and coastal waters work by focusing on the links between physical and biological processes, and between science and engineering. In turn these are linked to economic and social issues.
The book highlights the individual experiences at these different sites, with many similarities and dissimilarities brought upon by different scientific and management approaches, governance and socio-economic issues and different levels of development. This advancement in science was made possible by the local experts - who are actually also the authors of the chapters. These experts provide hints of long-term solutions to enable socio-economic developments while maintaining, or restoring, the vital ecosystem services provided by the estuarine and coastal waters, following the principles of the UNESCO ecohydrology programme.
The lessons from this book about the Asia Pacific Region find applications worldwide wherever coastal urbanization and the growth of mega-harbours occur.
The chapters are peer-reviewed to ensure highest quality science. The book was edited by Dr. Eric Wolanski, is an internationally recognized coastal oceanographer. He is a fellow of the Belgian Academy of Overseas Sciences, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and the Institution of Engineers Australia. He was awarded an Australian Centenary medal for services in estuarine and coastal oceanography and he is a Leading Scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science with more than 270 publications.
Increasing trade and urbanisation of the Asia Pacific coast.- Tokyo Bay: its environmental status ? past, present and future.- Ecological network linked by the planktonic larvae of the clam Rudipates Philippinarum in Tokyo Bay.- Circulation processes in Tokyo Bay.- Effects of oceanic water intrusion on the Tokyo Bay environment.- Influence of the deep waterway project on the Changjiang Estuary.- Impact of human activities on the health of ecosystems in the Changjiang Delta region.- Geographical and economical setting of the Pearl River estuary.- Physical processes and sediment dynamics in the Pearl River.- Water quality and phytoplankton blooms in the Pearl River estuary.- Pollution studies on mangroves in Hong Kong and mainland China.- Field and model studies of water quality in Hong Kong.- Eutrophication dynamics in Hong Kong coastal waters: physical and biological interactions.- Marine communities and introduced species in Pearl Harbor, O?ahu, Hawai?i.- Physical environment in the Gulf of Thailand with emphasis on three important ports.- Environmental issues in the Gulf of Thailand.- The environment in Ho Chi Minh City harbours.- Biophysical environment of Manila Bay ? then and now.- Manila Bay: environmental challenges and opportunities.- Carbon flux through bacteria in a eutrophic tropical environment: Port Klang waters.- Phytoplankton structure in the tropical port waters of Singapore.- Marine habitats in one of the world's busiest harbours.- The physical oceanography of Singapore coastal waters and its implications for oil spills.- Managing the port of Jakarta Bay: overcoming the legacy of 400 years of adhoc development.- Darwin Harbour: water quality and ecosystem structure in a tropical harbour in the early stages of urban development.- Hydrodynamics of Darwin Harbour.- An estuarine ecohydrology model of Darwin Harbour, Australia.- Is harbour development ecologically sustainable?
Dr. Eric Wolanski, an internationally recognized coastal oceanographer, is a fellow of the Belgian Academy of Overseas Sciences, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and the Institution of Engineers Australia. He was awarded an Australian Centenary medal for services in estuarine and coastal oceanography and he is a Leading Scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science with more than 270 publications.
From the reviews: "The book demonstrates the different solutions and pitfalls, successes and failures in a large number of ports in the Asian Pacific region by means of case studies. It contains 28 chapters ! addressing the environmental conditions of the main harbours ! . also gives extensive information related to the hydrographic, and oceanographic processes in this area. ! The book certainly is of interest for people working in a field that in some way or the other is related to marine environmental issues ! ." (Willem J. Vlasblom, Terra et Aqua, Issue 103, 2006)
