News Detail

“Rivers of Europe” appeared in second edition

November 29, 2021 | Annette Ryser

Eawag scientist Christopher Robinson is one of the main editors of this book on the biological and hydrological characteristics of more than 180 of the highest profile rivers in Europe.

The monumental “Rivers of Europe”, first published by Elsevier in 2008 is the only primary source of complete and comparative baseline data on the biological and hydrological characteristics of more than 180 of the highest profile rivers in Europe. Biologist Christopher Robinson, Group Leader at the aquatic research institute Eawag and Associate Professor at the University of Zurich was responsible for the 2nd edition, together with Klement Tockner, Director General of the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, and Christiane Zarfl, professor at the Eberhard Karls Universitat Tubingen.

The book provides the most comprehensive information ecologists and conservation managers need to better assess their management and meet the EU legislative good governance targets. With full-color photographs and maps, the book includes conservation information on current patterns of river use and the extent to which human society has exploited and impacted them. Each chapter includes up to 10 featured rivers, with detailed information on their physiography, hydrology, ecology/biodiversity and human impacts.

The 2nd edition is a fully updated and improved version of the 1st edition. All maps have been redrawn and updated using newly available data, the text has been revised and new text written in terms of new data since the first edition, including an update of new references and web pages.
 

Rivers of Europe
2nd Edition (2021)
Editors: Klement Tockner, Christiane Zarfl, Christopher Robinson
Language: English
ISBN: 9780081026120
Imprint: Elsevier

You can order your copy here: elsevier.com

3 Questions to Christopher Robinson

Biologist Christopher Robinson is a Group Leader at Eawag and an Associate Professor at ETH Zurich.
(Photo: Raoul Schaffner, Eawag)

Why one should buy this book?

It should be used as a standard reference guide for folks working on the rivers of Europe or for that matter rivers of the world for the comparison perspective. It also provides up to date literature on respective rivers for researchers and praxis-oriented professionals as well as students. I liked the historical context of each chapter – highlighting the origin and human influence on the different rivers.

What was your contribution to the book?

I edited every sentence of every chapter. I will not disclose the number of hours (days, years…) so as not to put off others opting to edit a book someday (laughs). I also assisted in the graphics with Eawags’s former graphic artist Lydia Zweifel — she formatted half the figures in the new book before her retirement and set the precedence for the other figs to be done correctly —I can’t thank her enough.

What is your favourite river of Europe and why?

I have a long history with my Russian colleagues. Thus a no choicer is the Volga — but I must say that some of the ‘unknown’ rivers discussed in the book perked by bucket list for future adventures.

Cover picture: iStock.com/Eshma