The global attention in recent years has focused primarily on water quantity and allocation issues. Water quality has received significantly less attention than water quantity. Commendable progress has been made by the developed world to control point sources of pollution, but commensurate progress in reducing non-point sources has not been made. In the third world countries both point and non-point sources of pollution are becoming increasingly a serious concern. Already, nearly all water bodies in such countries near and around urban centres have been severely polluted, with very high health and environmental costs. The book assesses the current status of water quality management in both developed and developing worlds, as well as analysing the effectiveness of economic instruments and legal and institutional frameworks to control water contamination. It outlines the importance of building up social and political awareness to reverse the trend of continuing water quality deterioration, which is likely to be a most challenging task in the coming years.

Old forms of governance in both public and private sectors are becoming increasingly irrelevant because of rapidly changing conditions. Because of these changes, both governance processes and the scope of the institutions through which power is exercised throughout society may have to undergo a radical break with the past and prevailing models of governance. Water sector is an integral part of the global system. Consequently, its governance processes and the institutions responsible for its management must change as well in order to cope with the current challenges and potential future changes. Because of these current and future changes, water governance may have to change more during the next 20 years compared to the past 2000 years, if societal expectations are to be successfully met. All these changes will make water governance more complex than ever before witnessed in human history. Improving water governance will require good and objective analyses of case studies from different parts of the world as to what has worked, why and the enabling environments under which good governance has been possible. The present volume analyses case studies of good water governance from different parts of the world, and for different water use sectors. It concludes with an analysis of the critical issues that should be considered for water governance and a priority research agenda for improving water governance in the future.

It is now widely accepted that the world is likely to face a major water crisis unless the present management practices are significantly improved. Promoted extensively by donors and international institutions over the past 15 years, integrated water resources management (IWRM) has been assumed explicitly to be “the” solution for managing the limited water resources of the world. Hundreds of millions of dollars have now been spent in promoting IWRM in developing countries. However, no serious and objective analysis has ever been undertaken as to whether IWRM has made water management more efficient and equitable in any region of the world than otherwise may have been the case. This pioneering analysis indicates that IWRM has not only been unsuccessful in Latin America, but also is highly unlikely to succeed in the future. The reasons and constraints for this failure are outlined.

Access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation is essential for human survival and for maintenance of a decent quality of life. Currently, more than a billion people do not have access to safe drinking water and more than two billion people lack proper sanitation. In 1992, the United Nations proclaimed that water should be considered to be a human right. This position, however, has not been accepted by many developed and developing countries. This book systematically and comprehensively analyzes the legal development of the concept of water as a human right; implications for the national governments, and international and national organizations for the implementation of this concept; progress made in different Middle East and North African countries to provide every individual access to clean water and sanitation, constraints faced to assure universal access to water-related services and how these constraints can be overcome, and an overall research agenda in areas where more knowledge is necessary. Book translated into Arabic.

Efficient and equitable water, wastewater and stormwater management for the megacities is becoming an increasingly complex task. This book focuses on water management in its totality for megacities, including their technical, social, economic, legal, institutional and environmental dimensions through a series of specially invited case studies from different megacities of the world. At present, around one in two of the earth’s 6.3 billion people live in urban areas. Each year, the world population grows by around 80 million. Practically all of this growth is urban, primarily due to migration. The world’s urban population is expected to reach 5 billion by 2030, which is nearly two-thirds more than in 2000, and would mean that 60% of world’s population will live in urban areas. The cases studies analysed include some of the most interesting and challenging megacities of this planet, Dhaka, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg, México City, ArRiyadh and São Paulo. They assess different aspects of how water is intermingled in the overall development milieu. Water Management for Large Cities considers the magnitudes, nature and extent of the present and future challenges and how these could be met in socially acceptable and cost-effective ways. The international contributors are all acknowledged water experts. Book translated into Chinese.

There is no question that water pricing and public-private partnership can improve water management practices in the future. However, it is not the panacea as the proponents argue, nor the disaster as its opponents forecast. The book, Water Pricing and Public-Private Partnership, provides a comprehensive and objective assessment as to what works, where, why and under what conditions, as well as what does not work and why. It also assesses the social, economic, equity and institutional implications. The book provides an in-depth analysis and assessment of the main issues and constraints for pricing water and participation of the private sector and their effects on water supply in North and South America and Western Europe. With case studies from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Canada, USA and West European countries, the book provides comprehensive and objective analyses of the economic and social consequences of pricing and public-private partnership in the water sector. This collection transcends the current dogmatic debate on these complex issues, resulting in a cohesive set of carefully selected authoritative analyses. This vital book is the result of the decision by the Third World Centre for Water Management, National Water Agency of Brazil and Inter-American Development Bank to objectively and critically assess the experiences in these complex areas from North and South America and Western Europe.

This volume examines the various drivers of global change, including climate change, and the use of agricultural knowledge, science, and technology, as well as the outcomes of global change processes, including impacts on water quality and human well-being. Several authors examine potential policy and institutional solutions afforded by globalization to the challenges ahead, particularly the role of trade policy. Financing water development in a more globalized world and adapting to global warming are also examined.

Since the world is changing very rapidly, water management practices and processes beyond 2020 must change as well. Past forecasts and recent trends may no longer shed any meaningful light on the coming new, turbulent environment of the water sector, which will have to accommodate diversified, even opposing requirements reflecting different needs and interests of various stakeholders, political processes and institutional requirements. The situation will be further complicated by rapid technological changes, accelerated globalization, and relentless economic competition and turmoil. In this unique future-oriented book, leading international authorities discuss opportunities and challenges that the water profession may expect in the future. Many of the driving forces will still be traditional, like population and urbanization, but their implications will be very different to what have been witnessed earlier. There will be new challenges due to nontraditional drivers like globalization, free trade, HIV/AIDS, climate change, rapid technological developments and increasing intersectoral interrelationships between water, food, energy, and environmental securities. All these developments will make efficient and equitable water management more complex than even before. In collaboration with the International Water and Environment Centre (CIAMA-La Afranca), the Water Institute of Aragon, the Third World Centre for Water Management in Mexico, the International Water Resources Association and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation both in the USA, 30 renowned international experts were congregated in Zaragoza, Spain to discuss water-related issues with a forward-looking outlook. This book is based on the papers specifically prepared for this workshop. We would like to especially thank Mr. Fernando Otal, Aragon’s Water Institute Secretary General, whose support made the Zaragoza Workshop a reality.

Since the late 1990s, megaconferences in the water-related sectors have become regular occurrences. The latest one, in Mexico City, in March 2006, is estimated to have cost a total of $205 million, and had 19,000+ participants. In spite of such huge costs and organizational efforts, not a single water megaconference has ever been seriously evaluated in terms of its overall impacts on the water sector. This book is the first pioneering study to assess the impacts of the megaconferences on water policies, programs and projects at global, regional and national levels. The results are bleak. The evaluation indicated that except for the UN Water Conference, held in Argentina in 1977, the impacts of the subsequent megaconferences have been at best marginal in terms of knowledge generation and application, poverty alleviation, environmental conservation and/or increasing availability of investments funds for the water sector.

Transboundary rivers and lakes are often the remaining new sources of water that can be developed for human uses. These water sources were not utilized in the past because of the complexities associated with their development and management. However, as water scarcity increases, there are increasing social, economic and political pressures to utilize such water sources. This unique and authoritative book analyses the magnitudes of the transboundary water problems in different parts of the world, difficulties and constraints faced to resolve these problems, and successes and shortcomings to manage them. Written and edited by the world’s leading water and legal experts, this authoritative book analyses the present situations, both globally and in case specific basins, and objectively reviews what management alternatives have worked and not worked, and the reasons why.

Considerable attention has been given during the past few years to the water crisis that many regions of the world may face in the coming decades. While the magnitudes and the extent of the global water scarcity problems of the future should not be underestimated, leading international experts have recently pointed out that the main water crisis in the coming years is likely to stem primarily from water quality deterioration and lack of investment funds, rather than from physical water scarcities per se. However, in spite of the seriousness of continuing water quality deterioration in most countries of the world, water quality management is still somewhat neglected issue. Even the magnitudes and extents of the water quality problems are not reliably known in most countries. This unique book analyses the current situations in water quality management in North, Central and South America, and discusses the policy alternatives available to improve the existing and future water quality management practices and processes in a cost-effective and timely manner. It objectively reviews which water quality policies have worked, and which have not, and the reasons thereof.

This study is a major, first attempt to address comprehensively and in-depth the many issues associated with the institutional innovation in water resource management. It is a global survey and assessment of the structure, evolution and performance of water institutions in regional, national, and international settings. It includes: an analysis and discussion of the rationale for institutional innovations, based on case study findings; specific suggestions for sustainable institutional design, and recommendations for implementing institutional reforms. The term "water institutions", in the context of this volume is broadly defined to include water laws and regulations, water supply schemes, water technologies, regulatory practices, and water administration policies, all viewed in light of the prevailing socioeconomic, political, and cultural settings in which they are embedded.

Water is becoming a critical resources issue for the 21st century, and yet no definitive text exists which reliably assesses the current status of water resources development and management in Canada, USA and Mexico on a holistic and multidisciplinary basis. This book will be of direct interest to all water professionals who are interested in the water resources of North America from any disciplinary perspective.

Water policies have generally been considered important, but their rational formulation and implementation have received scant attention. The contributors to this volume believe that water policies in the twenty-first century have to take into account the important changes in the past decade, as also those likely to take place in the future. The risks and uncertainties associated with such policies also need to he carefully assessed. Future policies, if they are to be effective, must address diversifying social interests and agendas arising out of rapid technological changes, globalization, economic competition, and political uncertainties. Theoretical and conceptual approaches, though attractive, are not enough unless they can be made operational. It is the institutions that formulate and implement water policies. Thus, unless efficient institutions exist, water policies and institutions need to he seen as an integrated package. This book objectively and comprehensively reviews the present status of water policies and institutions in Latin America, and makes suggestions as to how policies and institutions can be improved in the future. It will fill an important gap and become a key reference for policy-makers, economists, and environmentalists.

The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Basins contain the largest number of the world's poor in any one region. The region is endowed with considerable natural resources that could be used to foster sustainable economic development. Water could be successfully used as the engine to promote economic development of the region, which has been hindered because the most populous part of the basins are shared by three countries: Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, who have, in the past, been unable to agree to an integrated development plan. In this volume leading technocrats and intellectuals discuss how, through cooperation between countries concerned and by taking a holistic development approach, the quality of life of the people in the basins could be improved significantly within a reasonable timeframe. A special Indian edition is available

With contributions from leading experts, this book objectively examines current experiences and practices in water management in Latin America. Case studies from various regions -Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile- critically analyse the advantages and disadvantages of water management practices adopted. The book aims to highlight how these experiences can be shared and adapted to suit the requirements of specific regions. Since conditions differ not only from country to country but also between regions within the same country, the concept of water management needs to be understood in a wider context. A more holistic approach towards water management is therefore needed.

This book argues that the active participation of women is critical for ensuring sustainable use of water resources. Women's role in water management has hitherto been seen only in the context of the provision or use of water in households and communities. The contributors to this volume suggest that though these roles are important, women can play larger and more significant roles in relation to water management, namely as decision makers, planners, managers and research scientists. The experiences of senior decision makers and professionals from various countries are analysed, specifically in terms of macro policy and management issues. The lessons to be learnt from the Latin American experiences are of special value to the entire developing world.

This volume includes an introduction to EIA, and explains its processes, methods, and tools. It discusses the implementation of specific environmental management measures and the need for their constant monitoring. The authors also consider the writing and reviewing of an EIA report and the process of translating and communicating the findings of an EIA study to decision-makers and the public. The book also examines emerging trends in EIA and concludes with a number of illustrative case studies. Book translated into Chinese and Japanese.

Water is increasingly becoming scarce resource in most of the developing world. New sources of water are becoming more difficult to develop than before because of technological, economic and environmental reasons. Since future development of developing countries is dependent on ensuring that adequate quantity and quality of water is available for various uses, efficient planning of water resources at national levels has become an urgent necessity. This volume analyses national water master plans from India, Egypt, Mexico and Nepal, and reviews the World Bank experiences in this area. Finally, the specific conclusions and recommendations are drawn from all the case studies. Book translated into Chinese.

This volume presents the Islamic perspectives on a number of proposed water-management policies, including water demand management, wastewater reuse, and higher tariffs. The book opens avenues for a wider dialogue amongst researchers working at identifying the most promising water management policies, adds to our knowledge of some of the influences on formal policy and informal practice, and makes these ideals available to a broader public. It serves as a concrete example of the benefit of examining development on the context of values and culture. Its also dispels common misconceptions about the Islamic view on water management practices such as selling water and wastewater reuse. Book translated into Arabic, French and Urdu.

The Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Basins contain the largest number of the world's poor in any one region. The region is endowed with considerable natural resources that could be used to foster sustainable economic development. Water could be successfully used as the engine to promote economic development of the region, which has been hindered because the most populous part of the basins are shared by three countries: Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, who have, in the past, been unable to agree to an integrated development plan. In this volume, leading technocrats and intellectuals discuss how, through cooperation between countries concerned and by taking a holistic development approach, the quality of life of the people in the basins could be improved significantly within a reasonable timeframe. A special Indian edition is available.

Leading experts from four continents offer unique insights into varied issues of urban water management with in-depth case studies from the South as well as the North. The authors seek solutions and identify policies and strategies for sustainable management of water resources for burgeoning mega-cities of the world. These include technical issues, such as case studies and wastewater reuse, and management issues, including financial mechanisms for improved water sector management. Book translated into Japanese.

Increasing populations, environmental stresses of economic development, and water-related public health risks make sustainable water management increasingly complex. As per-capita demand for water in developing countries is steadily increasing, analysis indicates that the cost of future water resources development will be double to triple the cost of similar projects in the current decade. This book gathers expert analyses of issues surrounding three of Latin America´s largest and most important rivers, including inter-state and intra-state conflicts over their fair and sustainable use. Book translated into Chinese.

This volume includes an introduction to EIA, and explains its processes, methods, and tools. It discusses the implementation of specific environmental management measures and the need for their constant monitoring. The authors also consider the writing and reviewing of EIA reports and the process of translating and communicating the findings of EIA studies to decision-makers and the public. The book also examines emerging trends in EIA and concludes with a number of illustrative case studies. Book translated into Chinese and Japanese, and also as South Asian edition from Oxford University Press, Delhi is available.

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