Thirst: The Global Quest to Solve the Water Crisis

by Filippo Menga

A groundbreaking account of the worsening global water crisis corporations and non-profits have failed to address

Two billion people worldwide are without access to safe water. But solutions are hard to come by when causes are not clearly defined. In a whirlwind tour of global water insecurity, one of the world’s leading experts on water politics chronicles the massive impact of climate change; insatiable water demands from industry and agriculture; and widespread lack of state investment in infrastructure. Menga focuses in particular on high priests of global developmentalism – celebrities, CEOs, and sustainability directors – who have emerged as some of the loudest voices about water issues while offering few tangible solutions. Thirst shows that if humanity is to escape the deadlock that bedevils access to clean water, it has to reconsider both its faith in the market and its relationship with nature.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

208 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2025

Reviews

[Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Put another way, the political economies of sacrifice created by the caring spectacles of celebrity, corporate philanthropy and NGO campaigning have authorized, set in motion and naturalized – if not outright deified – the continuing neoliberalization of the life and death of others in humanitarian aid and environmental programs" (p.102).

[Mike Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, but also very depressing