Big dams built for irrigation, power, water supply, and other purposes were among the most potent symbols of economic development for much of the twentieth century. Of late they have become a lightning rod for challenges to this vision of development as something planned by elites with scant regard for environmental and social consequences—especially for the populations that are displaced as their homelands are flooded. In this book, Sanjeev Khagram traces changes in our ideas of what constitutes appropriate development through the shifting transnational dynamics of big dam construction. Khagram tells the story of a growing, but contentious, world society that features novel and increasingly efficacious norms of appropriate behavior in such areas as human rights and environmental protection. The transnational coalitions and networks led by nongovernmental groups that espouse such norms may seem weak in comparison with states, corporations, and such international agencies as the World Bank. Yet they became progressively more effective at altering the policies and practices of these historically more powerful actors and organizations from the 1970s on. Khagram develops these claims in a detailed ethnographic account of the transnational struggles around the Narmada River Valley Dam Projects in central India, a huge complex of thirty large and more than three thousand small dams. He offers further substantiation through a comparative historical analysis of the political economy of big dam projects in India, Brazil, South Africa, and China as well as by examining the changing behavior of international agencies and global companies. The author concludes with a discussion of the World Commission on Dams, an innovative attempt in the late 1990s to generate new norms among conflicting stakeholders.

This is the first comprehensive, multi-disciplinary book to address water policy in Jordan. Edited by the former Minister of Water and Irrigation of Jordan, with contributions by other prominent Jordanian and international water professionals, this volume covers such areas as the population-water resources equation in Jordan; institutional and legal frameworks; the data systems used for the assessment and formulation of water policy; water allocations and uses in municipal, industrial, and agricultural sectors; social and environmental issues; and water conflict with Jordan's neighbors. The book is a must for readers interested in Middle East politics and the critical nature of water issues in the region. The book notes the importance of interaction with the outside world to augment water resources through trade, making the experience of Jordan relevant to other developing regions where water is scarce. It introduces the term 'shadow water' to mean the scarce indigenous water resources that the import of agricultural and industrial commodities saves or replaces. The book shows how financially profitable it can be to treat water as a tradable commodity, to be exchanged peaceably across international borders. Haddadin and his distinguished contributors bring the water conflicts between Jordan and its neighbors, Israel and Syria, into sharp focus. The book includes a historical perspective on the development of water policies in Jordan and explores the significance of water in the religious, social, and political life of the country.

Proper management of water resources can take many forms, and requires the knowledge and expertise to work at the intersection of mathematics, geology, biology, geography, meteorology, political science, and even psychology. This book provides an essential foundation in water management and development concepts and practices, dissecting complex topics into short, understandable explanations that spark true interest in the field. Approaching the study of water resources systematically, the discussion begins with historical perspective before moving on to physical processes, engineering, water chemistry, government regulation, environmental issues, global conflict, and more. Now in its fourth edition, this text provides the most current introduction to a field that is becoming ever more critical as climate change begins to threaten water supplies around the world. As geography, climate, population growth, and technology collide, effective resource management must include a comprehensive understanding of how these forces intermingle and come to life in the water so critical to us all.

Over the last decade, water security has replaced sustainability as the key optic for thinking about how we manage water. This reframing has offered benefits (including clear recognition of the link between humans, the environment and the right to water) and also posed challenges (the tendency in some quarters to interpret “security” solely in terms of geopolitical or economic “securitisation”). In this collection, the authors offer a radical repositioning of these debates updated to reflect the concerns of our post-pandemic world. The chapters in this volume examine several different themes including how water security articulates with locality and culture, how it operates across spatial scales and its moral/ethical resonances. The chapters in this book were originally published in the journals Water International and International Journal of Water Resources Development.

The definitive work on the subject, it offers you comprehensive and accurate coverage of the theory and techniques of ground water development. Provides not only a general overview of the topic with applications but also incorporates sufficient detail to be of use to professionals involved in any phase of ground water. Divided into three parts, the text traces the progression of the study of ground water from its origin through its development and exploitation. Part one deals mainly with the nature of ground water and where it can be found. Part two considers the parameters related to water well design and construction. In part three, there is a thorough review of well and well field operation, including monitoring for environmental protection. Although the focus is on high-capacity ground water producing installations, most of the material is also applicable to lower-yield wells.

Ebb and Flow: Volume 1: Water, Migration, and Development