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Water is our planet’s most precious resource. It is required by every living thing, yet a huge proportion of the world’s population struggles to access clean water daily. Agriculture, aquaculture, industry, and energy all depend on it - yet its provision and safety engender widespread conflict; battles likely to intensify as threats to freshwater abundance and quality, such as climate change, urbanization, new forms of pollution, and the privatization of control, continue to grow.
But must the cost of potable water become prohibitively expensive for the poor - especially when supplies are privatized? Do technological advances only expand supply or can they carry hidden risks for minority groups? And who bears responsibility for managing the adverse impacts of dams funded by global aid organizations when their burdens fall on some, while their benefits accrue to others? In answering these and other pressing questions, the book shows how control of freshwater operates at different levels, from individual watersheds near cities to large river basins whose water - when diverted - is contested by entire countries. Drawing on a rich range of examples from across the world, it explores the complexity of future challenges, concluding that nations must work together to embrace everyone's water needs while also establishing fair, consistent criteria to promote available supply with less pollution.
But must the cost of potable water become prohibitively expensive for the poor - especially when supplies are privatized? Do technological advances only expand supply or can they carry hidden risks for minority groups? And who bears responsibility for managing the adverse impacts of dams funded by global aid organizations when their burdens fall on some, while their benefits accrue to others? In answering these and other pressing questions, the book shows how control of freshwater operates at different levels, from individual watersheds near cities to large river basins whose water - when diverted - is contested by entire countries. Drawing on a rich range of examples from across the world, it explores the complexity of future challenges, concluding that nations must work together to embrace everyone's water needs while also establishing fair, consistent criteria to promote available supply with less pollution.
200 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 31, 2020
Very dry academic language, but important message. Not the most memorable of books, but it did leave me wanting to know more about the water issue. Hopefully the next book I read about water won't put me to sleep as swiftly and as many times as this one did.
June 24, 2015
Water isn't just for drinking or uses around the house; it's also essential in agriculture, manufacturing, and energy production. And unfortunately, we don't have an unlimited supply of freshwater and many around the world don't even have reliable access to clean (or potable) water. Existing sources are already becoming increasingly contaminated by pollution or increased salinity (higher levels of dissolved minerals) due to overuse. What policies should we have toward this precious and necessary resource? What are the ethical issues as we allocate scarce resources?
Professor Feldman looks at these questions from a public policy standpoint. He addresses our attempts to control water supplies, from efforts to mitigate floods to moving water to distant locations for irrigation. He also looks at the bottled-water industry - with harsh conclusions (increased pollution from transportation and plastic bottles, vastly more expensive than tap water, and not as reliably safe as tap water in the U.S. despite marketing claims to its "healthful" qualities). As a textbook this book is straightforward and probably a lot easier to read than some. The focus is mostly on public policy and is mostly dispassionate with pros and cons often evaluated. Prof. Feldman uses examples from all over the world, although there are a number from California (where water issues are important, as well as where I live). As a general reader, however, I would have liked more information about being a wise consumer (I saw no mentions of gray-water systems). Still, an interesting book that has caused me to think more about the bigger picture of water use issues.
Professor Feldman looks at these questions from a public policy standpoint. He addresses our attempts to control water supplies, from efforts to mitigate floods to moving water to distant locations for irrigation. He also looks at the bottled-water industry - with harsh conclusions (increased pollution from transportation and plastic bottles, vastly more expensive than tap water, and not as reliably safe as tap water in the U.S. despite marketing claims to its "healthful" qualities). As a textbook this book is straightforward and probably a lot easier to read than some. The focus is mostly on public policy and is mostly dispassionate with pros and cons often evaluated. Prof. Feldman uses examples from all over the world, although there are a number from California (where water issues are important, as well as where I live). As a general reader, however, I would have liked more information about being a wise consumer (I saw no mentions of gray-water systems). Still, an interesting book that has caused me to think more about the bigger picture of water use issues.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews