In a period of looming food crises, land disputes and water shortages a comprehensive overview on integrated water management (IWM) is timely and appropriate. The authors go to great length to cover just about every subject related to IWM in a holistic and exhaustive way, trying hard to explain such a complex issue. The subjects covered include challenges and opportunities; land use, water management and cumulative effects; institutional context; planning and policy making; hydrological processes and technical aspects; monitoring and evaluation to improve performance; research, training, information and technology transfer; and concluding thoughts on adaptive and integrated management of watersheds.

Every chapter provides detailed information, such as, the distinction between a conference, symposium, seminar and workshop, which is explained in the chapter on research, training, information and technology transfer.

I have little criticism of the book, except that the authors go astray when they step outside their own discipline. A statement that trees protect soils against erosion is simply not true. The management of trees and their spatial arrangement, like forests, can indeed prevent erosion. Individual trees, however, do not and can even aggravate erosion. Also, a list of acronyms would have been useful, certainly for those who are not conversant with watershed management in the USA. However, despite these small inconveniences the book can be considered as an asset for those who want to know more about IWM, because it touches upon about every subject related to it. It can be highly recommended as a textbook for undergraduate teaching and as a reference guide for people working in IWM or related areas.