Water First: Issues and Challenges for Nations and Communities in South Asia - Hardcover

9780761936251: Water First: Issues and Challenges for Nations and Communities in South Asia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0761936254 ISBN 13: 9780761936251

Publisher: SAGE, 2008

This book brings together current knowledge and cutting edge interdisciplinary perspectives from renowned scholars on the histories, politics, ecologies and cultures of water in South Asia. It explores the complexities of the issues and challenges thrown up by contemporary water management practices in the South Asian region. It also attempts to ascertain whether or not the competing and/or complementary explanations provided for these issues are adequate or not. The book also offers examples of local action that has been taken. Through a rich offering of case studies firmly grounded in theory, the book elaborates how multiple representations have led to the current system of management of water resources in South Asia. The chapters in this book provide insights into the complex and dynamic relationships that exist between water and human societies - locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

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Review

This book provides a useful collection of chapters and will be of interest to readers in South Asia, as well as, development professionals, social activists and water systems engineers everywhere. (Economic and Political Weekly)

This volume is undoubtedly a stimulating contribution to the recently unfolding global debate that centers on several issues, like the management of nature, climate change, environmental degradation, and an increasing resource crunch...This collection of essays is a significant contribution to the history of water and it is expected to open up a fresh dialogue between the disciplines about the management and conservation of water.

(Hnet Online.com)

Water First brings together cutting edge interdisciplinary perspectives from renowned scholars on the histories, politics, ecologies and cultures of water. Through a rich offering of case studies and local examples, it elaborates on current water management practices have inspired, and the policies that have impacted the patterns of water use. This book will be of great interest to policy makers, social scientists students, research bodies and organisations, and national and international development and donor agencies.

(Development Alternatives)

The book...should be given Biblical status by policy makers and water experts to understand the cultures, ecologies, histories and the politics of water issues in detail.... The book offers interesting observations on the gap that has so blatantly been exploited over the years. The South Asian region must pull its act to deal with diminishing water, and realize that a lot of cleaning up needs to be done before it is too late. This book will explain how to do just that.

(www.Dawn.com)

This book is all about water. It is authored by academics, some of whom can write in a way lay people can understand. Importantly, all the essays are profusely referenced, so someone wanting to read further knows where to look. (Business Standard)

About the Author

Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt has been closely associated with local level movements working on water and related environmental issues in West Bengal, India. Trained as a human geographer from Calcutta University, Kuntala has researched water and society in Lower Damodar Valley region. She has been a member of SAARC Track III water initiatives and been a resource person for Panos Institute’s flood enquiry. Kuntala has set up a Gender Water Network (see http: //www.rspas.anu.edu.au/gwn), and is a member of the Steering Committee of Gender Water Alliance. She has written widely about water resources, and has guest edited ‘Water for People’ special issue (51.1) of the journal Development. Kuntala teaches and conducts research also on community development in mining areas and has authored several papers and books. Her recent publications include the edited volume Fluid Bonds: Views on Gender and Water, Stree, Kolkata, 2006. Kuntala is currently a Fellow at the Resource Management in Asia Pacific Program at The Australian National University.

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