Global change possesses serious challenges for water managers and scientists. In mountain areas, where water supplies for half of the world population originate, climate and hydrologic models are still subject to considerable uncertainty. And yet, critical decisions have to be taken to ensure adequate and safe water supplies to billions of people, millions of farmers and industries, without further deteriorating rivers and water bodies. While global warming is known to cause glaciers' retreat and reduced snow packs around the world, it is not clear that mountain discharge will be lower. What is widely recognised is that water management must be adapted to accommodate significant regime changes. However, this inevitably involves managing transboundary rivers, adding further complexity to putting principles in practice.

Series editor's preface, Henry Vaux, Jr, 1. High Water, Low Water, No Water: Upland Water Resource Management in times of Global Change, Ariel Dinar and Alberto Garrido, Part I. Mountain and upland areas, 2. Mountains of the World - Water Towers for the 21st Century, Bruno Messerli, Daniel Viviroli and Rolf Weingartner, 3. Upland Watershed Management and Global Change - Canada's Rocky Mountains and Western Plains, Dave Sauchyn, Michael Demuth and Alain Pietroniro, 4. System Hydrology Tools To Support Water Policy: The Case Of Lake Kinneret Watershed, Israel, Alon Rimmer, 5. Combined impacts of development and climate change on the Rhône river (Switzerland, France), Jean-Paul Bravard, Part II. Managing Opportunities in the face global challenges, 6. Adaptive Management of Upland Rivers Facing Global Change: General Insights and Specific Considerations for the Rhone, Claudia Pahl-Wostl, Ger Berkamp and Katharine Cross, 7. Climate Change and Water Resources: Potential Impacts and Implications, Richard M. Adams and Dannele E. Peck, 8. Policy and Adaptation in the Jordan Valley, Yousef Hasan AYADI, 9. Upland Watershed Management in Developing World: The Case of Tunisia, Sihem Benabdallah, 10. Challenges In Upland Watershed Management: The Green-Blue Water Approach, Holger Hoff, Part III. The view of practitioners and stakeholders, 11. Factors for success: Public and Private Sector Roles in Securing a Safe and Reliable Water Supply, Don Lowry, 12. The International Joint Commission: A Case Study in the Management of International Waters, Dennis Schornack and John Nevin, 13. An overview of the IJC, Jack Blaney, 14. Water management in alpine regions, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Conclusions, 15. Overcoming the Constraints for a more Integrated and Adaptive Water Management: a New Agenda for Upland Waters , Alberto Garrido and Ariel Dinar.