Water Under Threat

Larbi Bouguerra

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 available technological solutions keep pollution under control? It also provides some elements of an answer. It shows the ways in which water is used and managed, and raises central issues about our lifestyles, 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

About the Author

MOHAMED LARBI BOUGUERRA is a former professor at the science faculty of Tunis University and a former associate director of research at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).