This book examines the political economy that governs the management of international transboundary river basins in the developing world. These shared rivers are the setting for irrigation, hydropower and flood management projects as well as water transfer schemes. Often, these projects attempt to engineer the river basin with deep political, socio-economic and environmental implications. The politics of transboundary river basin management sheds light on the challenges concerning sustainable development, water allocation and utilization between sovereign states. Advancing conceptual thinking beyond simplistic analyses of river basins in conflict or cooperation, the author proposes a new analytical framework. The Transboundary Waters Interaction NexuS (TWINS) examines the coexistence of conflict and cooperation in riparian interaction. This framework highlights the importance of power relations between basin states that determine negotiation processes and institutions of water resources management. The analysis illustrates the way river basin management is framed by powerful elite decision-makers, combined with geopolitical factors and geographical imaginations. In addition, the book explains how national development strategies and water resources demands have a significant role in shaping the intensities of conflict and cooperation at the international level. The book draws on detailed case studies from the Ganges River basin in South Asia, the Orange–Senqu River basin in Southern Africa and the Mekong River basin in Southeast Asia, providing key insights on equity and power asymmetry applicable to other basins in the developing world.
The main purpose of this book is to assist the reader in choosing the best method for providing clean and safe water in a developing country. The sites needing clean water can be diverse, e.g. an individual household, an entire village, a group of villages, a school, a clinic, an orphanage, etc. The focus of this book is to provide the reader with a basic understanding of how to bring clean water supplies to these entities. The optimal approaches will depend on both the Point of Use (POU), which may be large or small, and the state of the water (quantity, turbidity, type and concentration of pathogens/bacteria/viruses present) at the water source. Point of Use (POU) is the location where the water is to be consumed.The majority of those impacted by unsafe water live in isolated rural areas of the developing world. Cost, sustainability, cultural differences and acceptance by those who will use the water are all important factors in providing clean drinking water to these people.
The 2020 edition of the WWDR, titled Water and Climate Change illustrates the critical linkages between water and climate change in the context of the broader sustainable development agenda. Supported by examples from across the world, it describes both the challenges and opportunities created by climate change, and provides potential responses – in terms of adaptation, mitigation and improved resilience – that can be undertaken by enhancing water resources management, attenuating water-related risks, and improving access to water supply and sanitation services for all in a sustainable manner. It addresses the interrelations between water, people, environment and economics in a changing climate, demonstrating how climate change can be a positive catalyst for improved water management, governance and financing to achieve a sustainable and prosperous world for all. The report provides a fact-based, water-focused contribution to the knowledge base on climate change. It is complementary to existing scientific assessments and designed to support international political frameworks, with the goals of helping the water community tackle the challenges of climate change, and informing the climate change community about the opportunities that improved water management offers in terms of adaptation and mitigation.
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “One of the most important books I’ve ever read—an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.” – Bill Gates “Hans Rosling tells the story of ‘the secret silent miracle of human progress’ as only he can. But Factfulness does much more than that. It also explains why progress is so often secret and silent and teaches readers how to see it clearly.” —Melinda Gates "Factfulness by Hans Rosling, an outstanding international public health expert, is a hopeful book about the potential for human progress when we work off facts rather than our inherent biases." - Former U.S. President Barack Obama Factfulness: The stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts. When asked simple questions about global trends—what percentage of the world’s population live in poverty; why the world’s population is increasing; how many girls finish school—we systematically get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess teachers, journalists, Nobel laureates, and investment bankers. In Factfulness, Professor of International Health and global TED phenomenon Hans Rosling, together with his two long-time collaborators, Anna and Ola, offers a radical new explanation of why this happens. They reveal the ten instincts that distort our perspective—from our tendency to divide the world into two camps (usually some version of us and them) to the way we consume media (where fear rules) to how we perceive progress (believing that most things are getting worse). Our problem is that we don’t know what we don’t know, and even our guesses are informed by unconscious and predictable biases. It turns out that the world, for all its imperfections, is in a much better state than we might think. That doesn’t mean there aren’t real concerns. But when we worry about everything all the time instead of embracing a worldview based on facts, we can lose our ability to focus on the things that threaten us most. Inspiring and revelatory, filled with lively anecdotes and moving stories, Factfulness is an urgent and essential book that will change the way you see the world and empower you to respond to the crises and opportunities of the future. --- “This book is my last battle in my life-long mission to fight devastating ignorance...Previously I armed myself with huge data sets, eye-opening software, an energetic learning style and a Swedish bayonet for sword-swallowing. It wasn’t enough. But I hope this book will be.” Hans Rosling, February 2017.
Drinking water availability and safety is a major challenge faced globally and is highly pronounced in developing countries worldwide. Lack of safe potable water across the globe can be attributed to industrial pollution, climate change and other human activities that result in a spectrum of chemical, physical and biological pollutants entering a water body. Although efforts to solve this problem are well underway worldwide, challenges still exist. This book shines a light on drinking water treatment methods and scale of operation specifically for the developing countries. Covering both conventional and emerging treatment technologies, the authors discuss the removal of chemical, physical and biological pollutants from drinking water, with a focus on developing countries. Conservation by rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse, and selection criteria of feasible methods are considered in the context of issues relevant to Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. With case studies connecting theory to real world matters, showcasing efficiencies and drawbacks, this book is ideal for graduate and postgraduate level course use in engineering departments or for self-study and research.
. . . it will provide a fascinating and stimulating read for researchers, students and academics with an interest in water economics and public policy. Practitioners focusing on water management, sustainable development, water supply and health will also find this book invaluable. CABI Those seeking an informed overview of the social and economic aspects of water issues in developing contexts today would do well to read P.B. Anand s book. Scarcity, Entitlements and the Economics of Water in Developing Countries is extensive covering local, sub-national and international aspects of water scarcity, the human right to water, transboundary water disputes and progress on the Millennium Development Goals. . . It will be of interest to water resource managers, urban water and sanitation policy-makers, international donors, and students of environmental justice, water issues, and development more broadly. . . Anand s book is recommended as useful and interesting reading primarily for its broad range and interdisciplinary approach. Mark Zeitoun, Waterlines In this creative study Anand applies environmental economic tools and concepts to analyze water issues in developing countries. . . The author carefully integrates the poverty, inequality, and development issues of water; and he meticulously discusses the intertwined rivalrous and excludable public good characteristics of water supply. . . Highly recommended. B.F. Hope, Choice The book eloquently illustrates the economics of water and how economics can increase the understanding of topics such as water inequalities and the role of institutions. It convincingly explores and explains water scarcity, supply and demand to demystify water topics. It commendably presents different views and interpretations on contentious water topics such as large-scale dams, transboundary water and privatization of household water supply. In particular, the conceptual framework is helpful in illuminating the interface between water and well-being. The book contains several case studies and water multi-sectors, such as dams, water supply and sanitation and water resources and appeals to a wide readership interested in various water topics and their implementation. Håkan Tropp, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), Sweden The author has sought to weave diverse strands of water policy in developing countries into a coherent framework. A multi country database is used to make the point that scarcity is not the absolute lack of water, but the result of policy and management failure. The sustainable access to drinking water, one of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals, as well as consumer preferences for water supply are illustrated with data from the author s research in Chennai, a chronically water starved Indian city. Resolution of conflict in a river basin is analysed using the case of the Cauvery, an interstate river in India. All these themes are brought together using Sen s Capability approach to highlight the fact that water policy is not a technocratic exercise but a matter of justice and entitlements. Water managers, academicians and civil society groups will benefit from reflecting on the important issues raised by Dr Anand in this book. Paul Appasamy, Madras School of Economics Anand s book discusses in detail the economics of water and how societies deal with this scarce resource. The complexities of water as highlighted in his book have previously been little explored in any standard economic development textbook. Anand presents a fascinating framework on water and well-being by linking water and the capability approach. It is a must read for all those dealing with water issues in particular and development issues in general. Naren Prasad, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Switzerland This is a very thorough analysis of water s critical role as both a basic human need and an economic good. It is unlikely to be surpassed for so
This book is addressed to planners and engineers responsible for the design of water treatment plants to be built in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In particular, it is intended for small or isolated communities which may need to employ technologies which do not depend on capital-intensive mechanization and instrumentation.
From cities to biofuels, competition for water is accelerating. Climate change threatens to intensify the onset and severity of the water crisis in several regions of the developing world: this is already happening throughout much of Asia, the Mediterranean, southwestern Australia, and the southwestern US. Along with water shortages, unsafe water becomes an increasingly widespread problem, too. As water crises trigger food and health crises, billions may slip further into poverty, leading to greater social and political unrest, new wars, and worsening national security. Out of Water doesn't just illuminate the coming global water crisis: it presents innovative solutions in agriculture, engineering, governance, and beyond, including state-of-the art techniques for integrated water management. This book will help raise the level of debate about water to the highest levels of government, and identify workable reforms and incentives to help water users utilize this crucial resource far more efficiently.
