The book highlights, with practical examples, the potential of isotope techniques in water resources development and management. It starts with a description of isotope characteristics as well as their relevance as tracers in studies on various stages of the hydrological cycle.

The book covers applications of both environmental isotopes and injected tracers to surface water and groundwater bodies as well as their interrelationships.  In view of the importance of identification of groundwater recharge and recharge processes, due emphasis is given to this aspect of application of environmental isotopes. Role of isotopes in understanding groundwater contamination from natural pollutants like inland salinity, arsenic and nitrate is discussed with examples.

S. M. Rao: Associate Director (Retd.), Isotope Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai and Presently Member of Research Council of the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (C.W.R.D.M.), Kozhikode, Kerala, India.

1.Introduction. 2. Basis for applications of various isotopes in hydrology. 3. Isotope applications in surface water hydrology. 4. Isotope applications in groundwater hydrology. 5. Need for enhanced application of isotope hydrology and how to achieve it.