Water Resources and Development

• Main Authors: Agnew, Clive 1955- (Author), Woodhouse, Philip (Author)
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: LONDON Routledge 2011
• Series: Routledge Perspectives on Development
• Subjects: Water-supply; Water resources development > Environmental aspects
• Online Access: Click Here to View Status and Holdings.

 Water Resources and Development provides a stimulating interdisciplinary introduction to the role of water resources in shaping opportunities and constraints for development. The book begins by charting the evolution of approaches to water management. It identifies an emerging polarization in the late twentieth century between 'technical' and 'social' strategies. In the past decade these two axes of policy debate have been further intersected by discussion of the scale at which management decisions should be made: the relative effectiveness of 'global' and 'local' governance of water. A variety of case studies elaborate this analytical framework, exemplifying four key development challenges: economic growth, poverty reduction, competition and conflict over water, and adaptation to climate change. Current 'best practice' for water management is examined, addressing strategies of water supply augmentation, the ecological implications of intensified use, and strategies of demand management guided by economic or political principles. It is argued defining 'successful' water management and best practice requires first the establishment of development goals and the implicit trade-offs between water consumption and conservation.