From cities to biofuels, competition for water is accelerating. Climate change threatens to intensify the onset and severity of the water crisis in several regions of the developing world: this is already happening throughout much of Asia, the Mediterranean, southwestern Australia, and the southwestern US. Along with water shortages, unsafe water becomes an increasingly widespread problem, too. As water crises trigger food and health crises, billions may slip further into poverty, leading to greater social and political unrest, new wars, and worsening national security. Out of Water doesn't just illuminate the coming global water crisis: it presents innovative solutions in agriculture, engineering, governance, and beyond, including state-of-the art techniques for integrated water management. This book will help raise the level of debate about water to the highest levels of government, and identify workable reforms and incentives to help water users utilize this crucial resource far more efficiently.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments    xii About the Authors    xiv Foreword       xvii Preface          xxi Chapter 1 Not Another Crisis!        1 Why Is Water Important?          1 Some Water Facts         4 Chapter 2 From Abundance to Scarcity in 25 Years        15 The River Jordan           18 The South Asian Groundwater Phenomenon       25 The Murray-Darling Basin         30 The Colorado River       35 Lessons from History    40 Chapter 3 Causes of Water Scarcity          45 Introduction       45 Blue and Green Water   48 Causes of Water Scarcity          48 Population Growth Impact          50 Dietary Change 52 Biofuel Production         53 Urbanization, Globalization, and Other Factors     55 Climate Change Impact 56 Conclusion        57 Chapter 4 Climate Change and Water       59 What Are the Most Likely Impacts of Climate Change?  61 Climate Change Impacts in Asia 66 Climate Change Impacts in Australia      70 Does Water Have a Role in Mitigating Climate Change? 72 Adapting to Climate Change       73 Conclusion        75 Chapter 5 Agriculture and Water    77 Why Is Irrigation So Important? 92 Virtual Water and Water Footprints        95 How Can We Achieve More “Drop Per Drop”? 97 Urban Water Reuse for Agriculture        100 Conclusion        101 Chapter 6 Water, Food, and Poverty         103 The Big Picture–Farming and Poverty  105 Nature and Poverty       107 Irrigation and Poverty–Learning from Asia        109 Groundwater and Poverty          112 Women, Water, and Food          114 Water as Welfare          116 Conclusion        117 Chapter 7 Integrating Water Planning and Management            119 Integrated Water Resources Management          121 Drinking Water and Sanitation in the Developing World   122 What Happens to Our Waste?   126 Recycling and Reuse of Wastewater      128 Multiple Use Water Systems      133 Conclusion        135 Chapter 8 Water Governance for People and the Environment           139 Understanding Water’s Unique Properties          142 A New Blueprint           144 Going Local      146 The Farmers Will Do It for Themselves  148 The Participation Principle         150 Recognizing Informal Institutions–The Commons and Community Management   152 Rivers   153 Conclusion        155 Chapter 9 Water Rights and Water Costs 157 Water Allocation Mechanisms    159 South African Water Policy       160 Water Allocation and Pricing in the United States            162 The Murray-Darling Basin, Australia      166 The Situation in Other Countries 169 The Economics of Water           170 Lessons from Complexity?         176 Conclusion        178 Chapter 10 Solving the World’s Water Problems            183 1. If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Manage It           185 2. Treasure the Environment      187 3. Reform Water Governance    189 4. Revitalize Agricultural Water Use       192 5. Manage Urban and Industrial Demand            198 6. Empower the Poor and Women in Water Management            201 Conclusion        204 Endnotes       207 Chapter 1          207 Chapter 2          207 Chapter 3          209 Chapter 4          210 Chapter 5          211 Chapter 6          213 Chapter 7          214 Chapter 8          215 Chapter 9          216 Chapter 10        218 Index              221