This volume provides a fresh look at critical environmental issues at they pertain to the world's freshwater bodies of water, from an international viewpoint. The goal of this book is to explore how human population growth and behavior have changed the world's lakes and rivers, especially in negative ways, and how modern society has responded to the challenges these changes present -- often through increased educational efforts, better conservation, and management of the environment. The first part of this work provides background information -- how the freshwater bodies of waters' ecosystems formed, the relative size and locations of the world's lakes and rivers, key animal and plant species that live in the lakes and rivers, and how the health of the freshwater bodies of water affects our planet's environment as a whole. The second part contains in-depth chapters examining seven different geographically diverse locations. An overview of each area details its unique features, including geology, weather conditions, and endemic species. The text also examines the health of the natural environment and discusses the local human population. Short and long term environmental impacts are assessed, and regional and international efforts to address interrelated social, economic, and environmental issues are presented in detail. The third part of this book studies how the cumulative levels of pollution and aggressive resource consumption affect the lakes and rivers on a global scale. It provides readers with examples of local and regional ecological impacts, as responses to these problems. Sometimes, these unique efforts have resulted in a balance between resource conservation and consumption.