When it comes to water, we flush and forget. We use, abuse and almost never recycle. Water sector in India, since the 1990s, has seen some new ideas formalised legally and institutionally, while others are still emerging and evolving. Confronting the reality of current water management strategies, this volume discusses the state of the Indian water sector to uncover solutions that can address the imminent water crises. This book: Analyses the growing water insecurity, increase in demand, inefficiency in water use, and growing inequalities in accessing clean water; Sheds light on water footprint in agricultural, industrial and urban use, pressures on river basin management, depleting groundwater resources, patterns of droughts and floods, watershed based development and waste water and sanitation management; Examines water conflicts, lack of participatory governance mechanisms, and suggests an alternative framework for water regulation and conflict transformation; Highlights the relationship between gender discourse and water governance; Presents an alternative agenda for water sector reforms. This volume, with hopes for a more water secure future, will interest scholars and researchers of development studies, environment studies, public policy, political studies, political sociology, and, NGOs, media and think tanks working in this area.

U.S. policies on the range of pressing international water-related issues--umanitarian relief, human health, economic development, environmental stewardship, and stability and security--fragmented, underresourced, and insufficiently coordinated. In particular, both the U.S. government's current organizational structure and the resources it now commits to water-related policies are inadequate for meeting the global water challenge in its current form. And when it comes to addressing future trends involving water, the government's structure falls far short of what will be required to respond to the mounting complexities--nd policy challenges--ssociated with the dynamic interactions among water, agriculture, the environment, and energy. To examine ideas on how to reform the structure and procedures of government to address the global water crisis, a working group of individuals representing diverse institutions and perspectives was organized by the CSIS Global Strategy Institute. This report and its recommendations were inspired by the working group and build on many of the valuable comments and reactions that were part of the group's deliberations.

This book describes the existential threats facing the global water systems from population growth and economic development, unsustainable use, environmental change, and weak and fragmented governance. It argues that ‘business-as-usual’ water science and management cannot solve global water problems because today’s water systems are increasingly complex and face uncertain future conditions. Instead, a more holistic, strategic, agile and publically engaged process of water decision making is needed. Building Resilience for Uncertain Water Futures emphasises the importance of adaptation through a series of case studies of cities, regions, and communities that have experimented with anticipatory policy-making, scenario development, and public engagement. By shifting perspective from an emphasis on management to one of adaptation, the book emphasizes the capacity to manage uncertainties, the need for cross-sector coordination, and mechanisms for engaging stakeholder with differing goals and conflict resolution. This book will be a useful resource for students and academics seeking a better understanding of sustainable water use, water policy and water resources management.

Water is a human right: “A rousing case for what will be one of the key environmental challenges of the twenty-first century.” —Booklist The United Nations has recognized access to water as a basic human right—but there is still much work to be done to stem this growing environmental crisis. In this book, water activist Maude Barlow draws on her extensive experience to lay out a set of key principles that show the way forward to what she calls a “water-secure and water-just world.” Not only does she reveal the powerful players even now impeding the recognition of the human right to water, she argues that water must not become a commodity to be bought and sold on the open market. Focusing on solutions, she includes stories of struggle and resistance from marginalized communities, as well as government policies that work for both people and the planet. At a time when climate change has moved to the top of the national agenda and the stage is being set for unprecedented drought, mass starvation, and the migration of millions of refugees in search of water, Blue Future is an urgent call to preserve our most valuable resource for generations to come. “In a book as clear as a pristine mountain stream, Maude Barlow lays out a practical and inspiring vision for how we can defend water—the source of all life—from the forces of death.” —Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine

Introduction : hydrohumanities / Kim De Wolff and Rina C. Faletti I. -- The agency of water and the Canal du Midi / Chandra Mukerji -- Winnipeg's aspirational port and the future of Arctic shipping (the geo-cultural version) / Stephanie C. Kane -- Radical water / Irene Klaver -- Water, extractivism, biopolitics, and Latin American indigeneity in Arguedas's Los ríos profundos and Potdevin's Palabrero / Ignacio López-Calvo and Hugo A. López Chavolla -- Water as the medium of measurement : mapping global oceans in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries / Penelope Hardy -- Aquapelagic malolos : Island-water imaginaries in Coastal Bulacan, Philippines / Kale Bantigue Fajardo -- The invisible sinking surface: hydrogeology, fieldwork, and photography in California / Rina C. Faletti -- Irrigated gardens of the Indus River Basin : toward a cultural model for water resource management / James Wescoat and Abubakr Muhammed -- Leadership in principle : uniting nations to recognize the cultural value of water / Veronica Strang.