Water Politics

The right to water remains elusive for a great number of people around the world. Despite decades of efforts by activists, policy-makers, and committed scholars, access to water remains deeply contested and unevenly distributed. This superb collection teases out why this is the case and, more importantly, presents a range of actions and principles, mobilised by a great variety of communities, that open possible pathways for a more just, democratic and egalitarian distribution of a key resource for securing livelihood. This is a must read for all those who still believe that a more humane, sustainable, and egalitarian access to the earth's waters is not only desirable, but necessary. - Professor Erik Swyngedouw, The University of Manchester, UK and Honorary Doctor of Roskilde University, Denmark and University of Malmoe, Sweden The world faces a growing water crisis. This is not just about water availability, but about distribution: who gets what and how water is used. Sultana and Loftus' book is groundbreaking. It provides a narrative of and pathways to water justice. It is a must read for anyone who cares water and our common future. - Professor R. Quentin Grafton, The Australian National University and the UNESCO Chair in Water Economics and Transboundary Water Governance This collection of essays provides much-needed intellectual inspiration for re-imagining water. Its clear message is that realizing the right to water involves re-organizing and re-thinking ways of relating to water, but also requires engaging with the wider transformations needed to make this world more sustainable and just. - Professor Margreet Zwarteveen, Professor of Water Governance, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands