This book brings together empirical research on the changing conditions of a range of river basin environments in the contemporary world, including the history and culture of local societies living in these river basins. It provides theoretical insights on the nature of the interaction between rivers and human communities.

Malcolm Cooper PhD is Emeritus Professor, College of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan.

Abhik Chakraborty PhD is Lecturer in the Center for Tourism Research, Wakayama University, Japan.

Shamik Chakraborty PhD is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, United Nations University, and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science, Japan.

1. Introduction Rivers and Society 2. Rivers as Socioecological Landscapes 3. Rivers and Communities: Can We Drought Proof a Catchment or an Entire Country? 4. Arid Lands, Saline Lands: Water in the form of a major river under stress, the Murray-Darling System in Australia 5. Life, Identity and Work in an Arid River Basin: The Case of the Zayandeh-Rud (Life-Giving River) in Central Iran 6. Rivers and Water Security: Supply adaptation strategies in the City of Chennai, India 7. The Velho Chico: perceptions and conflicts 8. Rivers as Vernacular Landscapes 9. Keep it Flowing: The Restoration Ecology of Indigenous Culture and Language Along the Missouri River 10. The End of the Los Angeles River: A paradox 11. The River's Embrace: The Rhine-Meuse Delta (Re)Imagined Chapter 12: Art Custodians of Our Rivers: Basia Irland: Watershed Sculpture and Ichi Ikeda 1 13. Hydrocitizenship: Concepts and Insights from the Lee Valley, UK 14. River Tourism 15. Rivers and Regional Development: The Case of the Herault River in South-western France 16. Rivers and Society: A Synthesis