A global perspective on water and the environment

At the turn to a new millennium, it is titillating to try to foresee what i ssues that are likely to be significant when we enter into the next century . Many of the water issues that we have been pre-occupied with in the past will, no doubt, continue to be important. But in addition, we should be pre pared for new dimensions in what is now called the 'impending water crisis' . A pro-active behaviour that would make it possible to avoid a new generat ion of problems is warranted as a complement to the need to re-act to and t ake care of old problems. As will be argued below, connections between wate r quantity and quality and between water and the environment have been over looked in the past. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.