Water Under Threat

About this book

This richly documented book asks the major questions about the enormously important political and geostrategic issue of water. Does water have a price? Is it a right or a need? Is there a water crisis? Will wars be fought over water? Should we be worried about water pollution? Can the available technological solutions keep it under control? It also provides some elements of an answer. It shows that the ways in which water is used and managed raise central issues about our lifestyle, our ethics, and our relationship to nature and the biosphere. It makes the case for a society that is more economical with water, and calls for global management of water resources in a spirit of solidarity, openness, and respect for the rules of democracy.

Contents

Introduction PART I: A SYMBOL AND A SOURCE OF FASCINATION FOR ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS 1: Unparalleled Symbolism 2: Science and Water: Research Continues PART II: WATER AS A POLITICAL ISSUE 3: The Problem of Distribution and Management 4: Geostrategy, Power and Struggles 5: Water and Conflicts 6: A Painful Issue in Algeria 7: A Water Crisis? 8: A Common Good Coveted by the Market PART III: THE PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM 9: Water and Health 10. Pollution in Many Different Forms PART IV: ISSUES OF ETHICS, SOLIDARITY AND DEVELOPMENT 11: The Question of Dams 12: Water and Development Ethics 13: Reasons for Hope? Further Reading; Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Mohamed Larbi Bouguerra is a Tunisian scientist who directs the water programme of the Alliance for a Responsible, Plural and United World. He was formerly a professor at the science faculty of Tunis University, and an associate director of research at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).