The No-Nonsense Guide to..
Water
by Maggie Black

Water sustains life: without it, humans cannot survive for more than a few days. And yet this precious fluid is increasingly politicised as the debates about the world’s water supply gain force. Who owns water? Who pays for the pumps and pipelines – and the leaks? What do water resources mean to local cultures and economies?

The control and ownership of water itself, and of the many organizations which govern its use, are increasingly the focus of international concern.

The No-Nonsense Guide to Water explores the many roles water plays in human life -- in history, health, transport, recreation, rituals, economic systems and politics.

This No-Nonsense Guide provides a clear overview on the issues today, including how water is distributed and by what technology; irrigation, agriculture and land use; and the effect of the profit motive when water becomes a commodity.

Maggie Black argues that it is in local communities that the defence of rights over water is set to become explosive, and asks if wars over water will be the next step.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Maggie Black is a writer and editor on social issues. Widely travelled in the developing world, she has worked as a consultant for organisations such as UNICEF, WaterAid, Anti-Slavery International, IPEC/ILO, SCF and Oxfam, and is a trustee of the UK Committee for UNICEF. She is the author of Children First: The story of UNICEF and A Cause for our Times: OXFAM: The First 50 years.

Publication Date: 1 September 2004

Format: 180 mm x 110 mm; 144 pages; diagrams, maps, charts, graphs and tinted boxes used throughout to illustrate key information; paperback

ISBN: 1-84467-509-2

Readership: General readers

Subject: Current Affairs, Politics, Development, Geography, Popular Non-fiction

“A splendid series of pocketable guides to issue politics.” The Guardian “The No-Nonsense Guides target those topics that a large army of voters cares about, but that politicos evade.” The Independent Format: 180 mm x 110 mm; 144 pages; diagrams, maps, charts, graphs and tinted boxes used throughout to illustrate key information; paperback. All books in this series are printed on environmentally-friendly paper.