Water First

Issues and Challenges for Nations and Communities in South Asia

This book outlines the contemporary issues and challenges that confront both the nations and the communities of the South Asian region, particularly India, where control over water has always been a symbol of social and political power. It explores the adequacy of the competing and/or complementary explanations for these daunting challenges of envisioning water management in one of the most densely populated parts of the world with a long history of water control.

Water First: Issues and Challenges for Nations and Communities in South Asia brings together cutting edge interdisciplinary perspectives from renowned scholars on the histories, politics, ecologies and cultures of water. Through a rich offering of case studies and local examples, it elaborates on current water management practices, the passions and complexities that these practices have inspired, and the policies that have impacted the patterns of water use. The book shall hold great interest for policy makers, social scientists, students, research bodies and organizations, and national and international development and donor agencies.