Mark Robinson – författare

This book takes a non mathematical looks at the principles and processes of hydrology. Now in its fourth edition, this well established book preserves the essential structure, clarity and style which have ensured its continued international popularity over more than three decades. However the book has been revised and fully updated to take into account new research and developments in the subject and the changing role of hydrology in the modern world. The thematic treatment of the main phases of the hydrological cycle i.e. precipitation, interception, evaporation, subsurface water and stream flow, has been retained, together with the chapter on water quality. A final, synthesising chapter has been reinstated by popular demand, together with a broader spectrum of case studies and examples. A selection of problems and exercises has also been included at the end of each chapter.

There has been considerable interest in recent years in the ability of non-governmental organisations to work with the rural poor in developing countries in order to improve their quality of life and economic status through the provision of credit, skills training, and other inputs for income-generation programmes. This book brings together the results of 16 evaluations in 4 countries (Bangladesh, India, Uganda, and Zimbabwe) to provide a detailed assessment of the contribution that NGOs make to rural poverty alleviation. The results indicate that NGO projects are successful when they build in a high degree of participation, when the staff are committed to the goals of the project, and when they are managed by strong and competent leaders. Many of the projects studied contributed to increases in income and welfare. However, not all projects were successful, contrary to received wisdom about the efficacy of NGO interventions. many failed to reach the very poorest, most were costly to implement, and few of the projects demostrated an ability to continue once external funding was withdrawn. These findingd provide string support for viewing NGOs as a mechanism for helping to reduce rural poverty, but also demonstrate that many of the interventions are isolated or one-off. The impact of NGOs could be heightened by increasing the size of the intervention, encouraging greater cooperation among NGOs, and by fostering closer cooperation with governments.This study will make an impact in the development community, and its conclusions will help shape NGO and poverty agendas in the coming years. The book will appeal to all those concerned with rural development, NGOs, and development programmes.

The 1990s have witnessed the ascendance of a new orthodoxy which asserts that democracy and development are mutually reinforcing. This is in marked contrast to the dominant consensus that held sway for the previous two decades, which stated that developmental progress in poor societies was best assured by strong states, ruled by authoritarian regimes. Today, however, many new democracies are illiberal, non-participatory, and characterized by enormous inequalities. Developmental democracy cannot therefore be regarded as an assured outcome of a simultaneous process of economic and political liberalization. The central inquiry of this important new study concerns the extent to which it is possible to strive towards a new form of developmental state that can promote broad-based and equitable development in the context of legitimized, inclusive democracy. The argument running through this book is that there is scope for continuous political intervention in the design of democratic institutions that shape the context of state-led development initiatives. Institutional arrangements which foster political participation, the dispersion of political power, and increased representation by women and other disadvantaged groups can make democratic regimes more sensitive to issues of poverty, social welfare, and gender discrimination through remedial action and policy commitments. Oxford Studies in Demcratization is a series for scholars and students of comparative politics and related disciplines. Volumes will concentrate on the comparative study of the democratization processes that accompanied the decline and termination of the cold war. The geographical focus of the series will primarily be Latin America, the Caribbean, Southern and Eastern Europe, and relevant experiences in Africa and Asia. The Series Editor is Laurence Whitehead.

This popular and bestselling book provides an important practical resource for all professionals engaged with planning, implementing and evaluating multi-professional teamwork and practice in children's services. This new third edition builds on the success of earlier editions, retaining its classic chapters of enduring value while incorporating some fresh new content.  Four new chapters - chosen to highlight and consider contemporary new developments in the field - explore safeguarding children; the challenges of information sharing; new integrated approaches to SEN; and multi-agency responses to child sexual exploitation.Combining theoretical perspectives, research evidence from the 'real world' of children's services, and reflections on policy and practice, this new edition retains its popular approach and is fully updated to reflect the numerous changes to policy, practice, and research. The book:•Exemplifies what multi-professional work looks like in practice•Examines real dilemmas faced by professionals trying to make it work, and shows how these dilemmas can be resolved•Considers lessons to be learnt, implications for practice and recommendations for making multi-professional practice more effectiveFeaturing helpful guidance, theoretical frameworks and evidence-based insights into practice, this book is a key resource for students studying on a wide range of courses related to children and families, as well as qualified social workers, teachers, support workers in children's centres, family support workers, health workers, and managers of a range of children and youth services. 

The problem of corruption is of central significance for the developmental prospects of poor countries. Corruption undermines development by siphoning off resources for infrastructures and public services and by weakening the legitimacy of the state. The volume will appeal to academics and policy-makers concerned with problems of governance and public management in developing countries, as well as specialists working on corruption and designing anti-corruption strategies.

The problem of corruption is of central significance for the developmental prospects of poor countries. Corruption undermines development by siphoning off resources for infrastructures and public services and by weakening the legitimacy of the state. The volume will appeal to academics and policy-makers concerned with problems of governance and public management in developing countries, as well as specialists working on corruption and designing anti-corruption strategies.

The Upper Thames Valley is an important area for prehistoric monuments and has one of the highest concentrations of cursuses, distinctive linear or elongated earthworks, in Britain. In the 1980s the Oxford Archaeological Unit along with the Abingdon Area Archaeological and Historical Society had the opportunity to extensively investigate one of these sites at Drayton. This site has produced many significant results for our present understanding of the date, construction and use of cursus monuments on the lowland river gravels of Britain. This volume reports on the excavations at Drayton, and includes an account of small-scale excavations undertaken at the Lechlade cursus by OAU and Lance and Faith Vatcher. It also provides a gazetteer of known cursus monuments in the Upper Thames Valley.

Hydrology is vital to human civilisations as well as to natural ecosystems, yet it has only emerged as a distinct scientific discipline during the last 50 years or so. This book reviews the development of modern hydrology primarily through the experiences of the multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers at Wallingford, near Oxford, who have been at the forefront of many of the developments in UK hydrological research. These topics include:• The development of basic understanding through  the collection of data with specialised instrumentation in experimental basins• The study of extreme flows – both floods and droughts• The role moisture in the soil • Studies of the processes controlling  evaporation • Water resource studies • Modelling and prediction of the extremes of flow improved • Understanding of water quality issues • A widening recognition of the importance of an ecosystem approach  • Meeting the challenges of climate change, • Data handling• Future developments in hydrology and the pressures which generate them.Readership: hydrologists in both academia and a wide range of applied fields such as civil engineering, meteorology, geography and physics, as well as advanced students in earth science, environmental science and physical geography programmes worldwide.

Communication and cultural diversity have become key focus areas as the health service engages with goals of health improvement and equity. This timely and unique book provides a rigorous and challenging review of recent research, with a particular focus on health communication interventions concerning service users who may lack fluency in English. The book shows that meeting the needs of all health service users, including disadvantaged groups, depends on both structures and processes of communication.This book will prove invaluable to healthcare professionals and medical students, academics, practitioners, service managers and policy makers concerned with improving health services for minority ethnic groups.