Foreword

The world population is estimated to be around 7 billions, while about 1.1 billions of people have no access to safe drinking water. The actual world water consumption is approximately 4500 billions cubic meters per year, and although water resources are becoming scarce, more than 80% of sewage in developing countries is discharged untreated, polluting rivers, lakes and coastal areas. From the above statistics emerge an enormous volume of water, which requires an appropriate treatment and management. Thus, I am very proud to introduce this set of volumes on water treatment technologies. I believe in their invaluable contribution to technical knowledge dissemination, and therefore, to a more eco-sustainable water cycle.

The presented set of books was born within the framework of the Tempus Project "Network for master training in technologies of water resources management - NETWATER" (159311- TEMPUS-1-2009-IT-JPCR). The NETWATER project pursues several objectives. In particular focuses on reforming existing curricula inside six Russian Universities, for a uniform study programs and joint degrees at Russian and at E.U. levels, and on widening and improving lecturers' knowledge of environment and technologies for treatment and management of water resources. Those aims will be achieved by the cooperation of public authorities and industrial partners exploiting new teaching methods and mobility for knowledge transfer and training.

As the coordinator of the NETWATER Project I am very proud of this set of books, which for me is also a fruit of a hard work started already few years ago at Genoa University with the establishment of the Second Level University Master in “Water Treatment - Innovative Membrane Technologies & Conventional Processes For Waste And Drinking Water Treatment”. During its fifth edition the NETWATER Tempus Project was implemented for a first time, by an intense exchange of students, professors, researchers and experts from academic and industrial platforms, for a fruitful enchantment of experience and knowledge. Presented volumes, being a result of the international teaching experience, will be a useful tool for students involved in the NETWATER project, and those who wants to approach those topics, and at the same time a valid professional support for technicians, engineers and chemists. This set of volumes gains its additional value from being published in two languages: English and Russian. This fact is a response to a need of Russian Universities, being nowadays under transition, for adaptation to academic standards of European Union.

I would like to thank all who have participated in the creation of the presented volumes, the authors of chapters and the NETWATER Project’s partners. Without them it would be not possible to accomplish this useful book series. I strongly believe that this set of books will be a valid tool to train a new generation of professionals and researchers in new developed curricula to face emerging environmental challenges.

Gustavo Capannelli

University of Genoa

Genoa, Italy, September 2011