Water is an essential life resource, yet the pollution of lakes and rivers has become an international problem, reaching crisis proportions in many regions. As demands on aquatic resources escalate, we must find new approaches to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Now in its second edition, Pollution of Lakes and Rivers addresses many of our present-day water quality problems from an international perspective, covering critical issues such as acidification, eutrophication, land-use changes, pollution by metals and other contaminants, climatic change, and biodiversity losses. It demonstrates how paleolimnological approaches can be used to interpret the physical, chemical, and biological information stored in lake and river sediments, and how this information is integral to identifying key environmental stressors and setting targets for mitigation purposes.

The expanded second edition includes over 250 additional references and a new chapter on recent climatic change and its effects on water quality and quantity. This comprehensive, up-to-date volume provides essential insights into a multi-disciplinary science aimed at tackling some of the most urgent environmental problems of modern times.