Publisher's Synopsis
Diffuse or nonpoint pollution has become a major focus of pollution abatement efforts throughout the world: problems such as siltation, eutrophication or contamination with toxic compounds are widespread and seem set to intensify for the 21st century.;The attack on these problems must differ from the strategies used against point sources of pollutants. In most cases nonpoint pollution loads are transient and highly variable hydrological phenomena related to the use and misuse of land; they may also result from atmospheric deposition of local or distant origin. Prevention of such pollution is far more economic than attempting to "clean up" the environment after diffuse pollutants have entered the ecological system.;The 81 papers included in this book describe work going on in 20 countries around the world. and deal with: economic and institutional issues: watersheds and coastal issues, urban and highway runoff; groundwater and soil water; agriculture/silviculture; and mathematical modelling. It is hoped that bringing together intemational expertise on these topics will highlight a growing consensus on the technical strategies available and on the policy measures needed to successfully combat diffuse pollution.
