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Water from Heaven: The Story of Water from the Big Bang to the Rise of Civilization, and Beyond
by Robert KandelFrom where—and what—does water come? How did it become the key to life in the universe? Water from Heaven presents a state-of-the-art portrait of the science of water, recounting how the oxygen needed to form H2O originated in the nuclear reactions in the interiors of stars, asking whether microcomets may be replenishing our world's oceans, and explaining how the Moon and planets set ice-age rhythms by way of slight variations in Earth's orbit and rotation. The book then takes the measure of water today in all its states, solid and gaseous as well as liquid. How do the famous El Niño and La Niña events in the Pacific affect our weather? What clues can water provide scientists in search of evidence of climate changes of the past, and how does it complicate their predictions of future global warming? Finally, Water from Heaven deals with the role of water in the rise and fall of civilizations. As nations grapple over watershed rights and pollution controls, water is poised to supplant oil as the most contested natural resource of the new century. The vast majority of water "used" today is devoted to large-scale agriculture and though water is a renewable resource, it is not an infinite one. Already many parts of the world are running up against the limits of what is readily available. Water from Heaven is, in short, the full story of water and all its remarkable properties. It spans from water's beginnings during the formation of stars, all the way through the origin of the solar system, the evolution of life on Earth, the rise of civilization, and what will happen in the future. Dealing with the physical, chemical, biological, and political importance of water, this book transforms our understanding of our most precious, and abused, resource. Robert Kandel shows that water presents us with a series of crucial questions and pivotal choices that will change the way you look at your next glass of water.
Water from Heaven: The Story of Water from the Big Bang to the Rise of Civilization, and Beyond
by Robert KandelCovering a vast array of scientific fields and recent discoveries, this book tracks a remarkable substance in its liquid, solid, and gaseous states as it cycles through the seas, the atmosphere, land, icecaps and under the earth. Robert Kandel describes what we humans are doing to the water cycle and the climate and explains where we are heading.
Water Governance: Challenges and Prospects (Springer Water)
by Amarjit Singh Dipankar Saha Avinash C. TyagiThe book is the first of its kind to deal with almost the entire swath of water resources assessment, development and sustainable management. The idea of the book crystallized during the long journey of the Editors on various facets of water issues in India and abroad during their extended association, at all levels with the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, as well as International Organizations dealing with water. Currently water-stressed, India is likely to become water scarce in not too distant a future. The global freshwater supply and its sustainable use for human consumption, and conservation of the ecosystem have never come under such a rigorous scrutiny before. The unplanned and reckless exploitation of this precious resource have led to a crisis situation, compounded by a real threat of climate change. This book is, therefore, timely and of particular relevance not only to India but the entire world. The book contains 20 chapters, beside the lead article by the Editors. The chapters are contributed by the eminent professionals, researchers, academicians and civil society representatives having an in-depth understanding of the issues. The contents of the chapters have been chosen to represent all aspects of water. The assessment of water resources using satellite data and in-depth analyses of groundwater sector like, the Aquifer Mapping Programme initiated by Government of India, application of gravity satellite data to assess the resource build up, artificial recharge of aquifers and its contamination, are dealt with by eminent experts. The articles on sustainable management of water through good governance by community participation and involvement of civil society are placed. Flood management both through a basin level approach as well as by building resilience in vulnerable areas is discussed. Other critical issues like water bodies management, constitutional provisions, water governance and financial issues, hydro-power and need of research and development in this sector are also dealt with aptly. In view of emerging crisis and complexities in this sector the future pathways and the paradigm shift that is required in administrative and policy level is also discussed.
Water Governance and Civil Society Responses in South Asia
by N. C. Narayanan S. Parasuraman Rajindra AriyabanduThis book addresses paradigm shifts in water policy and governance, and examines the role of civil society organizations in influencing public policy, while focusing on social equity and democratic participation. It illustrates a range of interesting developments in policy formulation, donor–state nexus, and interventions by civil society and voluntary organizations. The collection of articles provides a comprehensive and current narrative of the state–society relations in South Asia under neoliberal governance reforms, their implications and key responses with regard to water policies. Using case studies, it closely investigates the impact, effectiveness, drawbacks and challenges faced by voluntary organizations and social movements working at various levels in the water sector. The work will interest researchers and students of development studies, environmental studies, natural resource management, water governance, and public administration, as also water sector professionals, policymakers, civil society activists and governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Water Governance and Management in India: Issues and Perspectives, Volume 2 (Water Resources Development and Management)
by Girish Chadha Ashwin B. PandyaThis book, the second volume in the series, continues to raise contextual issues and presents perspectives regarding multifaceted challenges in management and governance of water in India. This volume attempts to broad base and expand the dialogue started in the first volume and would touch upon issues that need immediate discussion but have been left unattended like politics and management of groundwater, efficient utilization of water in agriculture (irrigation) and improving water use efficiency and building resilience. As in the first volume, this book presents a set of suggestions and recommendations in each chapter that can help frame policy guidelines in the country.
Water Governance in Bolivia: Cochabamba since the Water War (Routledge Focus on Environment and Sustainability)
by Nasya Sara RazaviThis book examines water remunicipalization in Cochabamba since the Water War, offering innovative methodological and theoretical conceptualizations of what it means to be "public," helping to move debates on water services beyond the paralyzing binary of public versus private with a focus on the contested terrain of community engagement around water services. The Cochabamba Water War of 2000 brought together city residents of all stripes to mobilize against water privatization and gain back public control of the city’s water utility. This event catapulted anti-privatization movements around the world, but two decades later, the water movement’s vision of democratic water provision remains largely unfulfilled and the city suffers from a protracted water crisis. Building a typology of participation, this book explores the difficulty in rebuilding a strong public water service in Cochabamba by analyzing the different, and often incompatible, understandings and interpretations of social control and public participation. Applying this framework to the Bolivian context, and more specifically to the water and sanitation sector in Cochabamba, the book uncovers whose interests are served, and which groups are included or excluded from decision-making and access to water. This exercise illustrates how, in their implementation, participatory practices are not linear and can be distorted or appropriated towards different ends. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of water governance, natural resource management, public policy, social movements and Latin American studies.
Water Harvesting for Groundwater Management: Issues, Perspectives, Scope, and Challenges (Challenges in Water Management Series)
by Partha Sarathi DattaOutlines the concept and principles of water harvesting for groundwater management for an international audience, and looks at the positives and negatives surrounding water harvesting technologies This book is the first to fully outline the concept and principles of water harvesting for groundwater management for a global audience. It offers guidance to academics, students and researchers on effective water harvesting approaches for groundwater recharge, and educates them on the risks associated with managed aquifer recharge, as well as the causes of success or failure of particular management strategies, and demand management strategies and tools. The book is helpful to water managers, administrators, and professionals, to make decisions to allocate resources; developing innovative cost-effective measures and approaches to achieve demand-supply balance. The book provides readers with an overview of the historical evolution of water harvesting for groundwater recharge. It looks at the benefits and gaps in knowledge, their implementation and funding strategies, and public participation. It also assesses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of water harvesting technologies. Water Harvesting for Groundwater Management: Issues, Perspectives, Scope and Challenges offers chapters covering: issues on water harvesting and water security; mega-trends that impact water security; groundwater occurrence, availability, and recharge-ability; phases of water harvesting systems; SWOT analysis of water harvesting systems; case studies and short examples of implementing water harvesting; scope of water harvesting for GWM strategies; guidelines to make water harvesting helpful and meaningful for GWM; and more. Summarizes the theories and applications of water harvesting for groundwater management for a world audience Offers guidance on effective water harvesting approaches for groundwater recharge, managed aquifer recharge, and successful water management strategies Evaluates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of water harvesting technologies Part of the Challenges in Water Management series Water Harvesting for Groundwater Management: Issues, Perspectives, Scope and Challenges is an excellent resource for water management professionals working with water harvesting technologies, and will be of great interest to water managers, administrators, professionals, academics and researchers working in water management.
Water Harvesting in Sub-Saharan Africa
by William Critchley John GowingAgriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa is constrained by highly variable rainfall, frequent drought and low water productivity. There is an urgent need, heightened by climate change, for appropriate technologies to address this problem through managing and increasing the quantity of water on farmers’ fields – water harvesting. This book defines water harvesting as a set of approaches which occupy an intermediate position along the water-management spectrum extending from in situ moisture conservation to irrigated agriculture. They generally comprise small-scale systems that induce, collect, store and make use of local surface runoff for agriculture. The authors review development experience and set out the state of the art of water harvesting for crop production and other benefits in Sub-Saharan Africa. This includes an assessment of water harvesting schemes that were initiated two or three decades ago when interest was stimulated by the droughts of the 1970s and 1980s. These provide lessons to promote sustainable development of dryland agriculture in the face of changing environmental conditions. Case studies from eight countries across Sub-Saharan Africa provide the evidence base. Each follows a similar format and is based on assessments conducted in collaboration with in-country partners, with a focus on attempts to promote adoption of water harvesting, both horizontally (spread) and vertically (institutionalization). Introductory cross-cutting chapters as well as an analytical conclusion are also included.
Water Histories of South Asia: The Materiality of Liquescence (Visual and Media Histories)
by Sugata Ray Venugopal MaddipatiThis book surveys the intersections between water systems and the phenomenology of visual cultures in early modern, colonial and contemporary South Asia. Bringing together contributions by eminent artists, architects, curators and scholars who explore the connections between the environmental and the cultural, the volume situates water in an expansive relational domain. It covers disciplines as diverse as literary studies, environmental humanities, sustainable design, urban planning and media studies. The chapters explore the ways in which material cultures of water generate technological and aesthetic acts of envisioning geographies, and make an intervention within political, social and cultural discourses. A critical interjection in the sociologies of water in the subcontinent, the book brings art history into conversation with current debates on climate change by examining water’s artistic, architectural, engineering, religious, scientific and environmental facets from the 16th century to the present. This is one of the first books on South Asia’s art, architecture and visual history to interweave the ecological with the aesthetic under the emerging field of eco art history. The volume will be of interest to scholars and general readers of art history, Islamic studies, South Asian studies, urban studies, architecture, geography, history and environmental studies. It will also appeal to activists, curators, art critics and those interested in water management.
Water Hyacinth: Environmental Challenges, Management and Utilization
by Shaohua Yan Jun Yao GuoThe water hyacinth is a disruptive factor in aquatic ecosystem management and ecosystem services, and causes problems in fisheries, transportation waterways, irrigation, hydropower generation, and water resources. To address these concerns, it is necessary to integrate past studies with current research and innovations to identify where the knowledge gap is and to creatively assess and solve the problems in a global context. This book provides comprehensive coverage of new research and technological innovations for the application of controlling, managing, harvesting, postharvest processing and utilizing the water hyacinth.
Water in Biological and Chemical Processes
by Biman BagchiBuilding up from microscopic basics to observed complex functions, this insightful monograph explains and describes how the unique molecular properties of water give rise to its structural and dynamical behaviour which in turn translates into its role in biological and chemical processes. The discussion of the biological functions of water details not only the stabilising effect of water in proteins and DNA, but also the direct role that water molecules themselves play in biochemical processes, such as enzyme kinetics, protein synthesis and drug-DNA interaction. The overview of the behaviour of water in chemical systems discusses hydrophilic, hydrophobic and amphiphilic effects, as well as the interactions of water with micelles, reverse micelles, microemulsions and carbon nanotubes. Supported by extensive experimental and computer simulation data, highlighting many of the recent advances in the study of water in complex systems, this is an ideal resource for anyone studying water at the molecular level.
Water in Circular Economy (Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation)
by Marzena Smol Majeti Narasimha Vara Prasad Alexandros I. StefanakisThis book presents possible solutions for a circuler economy (CE) in the water and wastewater sector through an inventory of multidisciplinary knowledge with high scientific and practical importance which can contribute to support the transition to the CE model in water and wastewater sector. Water in modern studies exceeds being an important source for irrigation and drinking. It is now a significant source of renewable energy and a catalyst in most industrial and manufacturing products. The protection and sustainable management of water resources and water-based waste (as wastewater, sewage sludge, or sewage sludge ash) are important aspects of the CE, which is defined as a regenerative growth model that gives back to the planet more than it takes. Our book, entitled "Water in Circular Economy", delivers a comprehensive overview of the latest research covering the following aspects of water management from the perspective of the CE implementation: · Water as a key resource in the circular economy; · Innovative solutions in transition to the circular economy in water and wastewater sector; · Monitoring of circular economy implementation in water and wastewater sector.
Water in Kentucky: Natural History, Communities, and Conservation
by Brian D. Lee, Daniel I. Carey, And Alice L. JonesTwenty-three essays examining the biophysical and the historical and contemporary stories of water&’s impact on communities throughout Kentucky. Home to sprawling Appalachian forests, rolling prairies, and the longest cave system in the world, Kentucky is among the most ecologically diverse states in the nation. Lakes, rivers, and springs have shaped and nourished life in the Commonwealth for centuries, and water has played a pivotal role in determining Kentucky&’s physical, cultural, and economic landscapes. The management and preservation of this precious natural resource remain a priority for the state&’s government and citizens. In this generously illustrated book, experts from a variety of fields explain how water has defined regions across the Commonwealth. Together, they illuminate the ways in which this resource has affected the lives of Kentuckians since the state&’s settlement, exploring the complex relationship among humans, landscapes, and waterways. They examine topics such as water quality, erosion and sediment control, and emerging water management approaches. Through detailed analysis and case studies, the contributors offer scholars, practitioners, policy makers, and general readers a wide perspective on the state's valuable water resources.Praise for Water in Kentucky &“Simply outstanding! Water in Kentucky offers an exciting close-up view of what happens to the water that falls on the Commonwealth. You&’ll be fascinated by the many innovative projects your neighbors are implementing to clean polluted runoff and to restore attractive wetlands and streams. This volume will guide you in taking action to improve water quality in your community for the benefit of people, plants, and wildlife.&” ―Thomas R. Biebighauser, author of Wetland Drainage, Restoration, and Repair &“This collection of 23 essays expertly covers the intricate relationship between water and our daily lives. These essays could easily serve as springboards for conversation in conservation and policy implementation for the future. This book stands as an important addition to the study of water resources in Kentucky.&” ―Kentucky Libraries &“A labor of love and a remarkable example of persistence and commitment by its editors Brian D. Lee, Daniel I. Carey, and Alice L. Jones, and a wide variety of invited contributors. This book goes a long way toward weaving together many perspectives to create a better overall picture of the relevance of water in Kentucky.&” ―Groundwater
Water in the Universe
by Arnold HanslmeierDue to its specific chemical and physical properties, water is essential for life on Earth. And it is assumed that this would be the case for extraterrestrial life as well. Therefore it is important to investigate where water can be found in the Universe. Although there are places that are completely dry, places where the last rainfall happened probably several 100 million years ago, surprisingly this substance is quite omnipresent. In the outer solar system the large satellites of Jupiter and Saturn are covered by a thick layer of ice that could be hiding a liquid ocean below. This of course brings up the question of whether the recently detected extrasolar planets could have some water on their surfaces and how we can detect this. Water molecules are also found in interstellar gas and dust clouds. This book begins with an introductory chapter reviewing the physical and chemical properties of water. Then it illuminates the apparent connection between water and life. This is followed by chapters dealing with our current knowledge of water in the solar system, followed by a discussion concerning the potential presence and possible detection of water on exoplanets. The signature of water in interstellar space and stars are reviewed before the origin of water in the Universe is finally discussed. The book ends with an appendix on detection methods, satellite missions and astrophysical concepts touched upon in the main parts of the book. The search for water in the Universe is related to the search for extraterrestrial life and is of fundamental importance for astrophysics, astrobiology and other related topics. This book therefore addresses students and researchers in these fields.
Water Infrastructure (Routledge Special Issues on Water Policy and Governance)
by Cecilia Tortajada and Asit K. BiswasWater infrastructure is an essential element in water management. Together with institutions, policies and regulation, it provides basic services to growing populations, especially in developing countries, where much of the growth is taking place. In the Asia-Pacific region, for instance, populations are growing not only in size but also in affluence, straining further the existing infrastructure and demanding urgently the development of a new one. While 79% of total water use in Asia occurs in agriculture, the fastest increases in demand are emanating from industry and from urban areas. This trend is a natural consequence of the fastest industrialization and urbanization process in history. By 2030, more than 55% of Asia’s population will live in urban areas, an increase of 1.1 billion people. Nevertheless, water infrastructure is of concern not only in the global South but also in the North, where much of the drinking-water infrastructure needs upgrading or replacement, a significant undertaking as infrastructure is more than a hundred years old in many cases. The American Water Works Association estimates that changing all of the water pipes in the United States would cost more than USD 1 trillion. In this book, in-depth case studies on water infrastructure challenges and policy solutions are presented from different parts of the world.This book was published as a special issue of the International Journal of Water Resources Development.
Water Insecurity and Water Governance in Urban Kenya: Policy and Practice (Global Challenges in Water Governance)
by Anindita SarkarThis book explores water service provisions of the urban poor in the cities of Africa with particular emphasis on Kenya and its capital city of Nairobi. In particular the book addresses the insecurity of tenure, and how the colonial segregation of land continues to shape water access and service provision even today in Nairobi. The book seeks to understand how urban water management entails the “production of thirst” among the urban poor and documents how cultural norms, political commitments and seemingly mundane practices of water managers combine to exclude the poor from accessing water. Supporters of privatization argue that private companies may succeed where governments have failed in supplying water to the urban poor. The author takes a closer look at this argument, demonstrating the limitations of some of the current reforms whilst also exploring alternatives and solutions. This book will be an invaluable reference for students, researchers and practitioners working in this field.
Water is for Fighting Over: and Other Myths about Water in the West
by John FleckWhen we think of water in the West, we think of conflict and crisis. In recent years, newspaper headlines have screamed,"Scarce water and the death of California farms," "The Dust Bowl returns," "A 'megadrought' will grip U.S. in thecoming decades." Yet similar stories have been appearing for decades and the taps continue to flow. John Fleck arguesthat the talk of impending doom is not only untrue, but dangerous. When people get scared, they fight for the last drop ofwater; but when they actually have less, they use less.Having covered environmental issues in the West for a quarter century, Fleck would be the last writer to discount theserious problems posed by a dwindling Colorado River. But in that time, Fleck has also seen people in the Colorado RiverBasin come together, conserve, and share the water that is available. Western communities, whether farmers and city-dwellers or US environmentalists and Mexican water managers, have a promising record of cooperation, a recordoften obscured by the crisis narrative.In this fresh take on western water, Fleck brings to light the true history of collaboration and examines the bondscurrently being forged to solve the Basin's most dire threats. Rather than perpetuate the myth "Whiskey's for drinkin', water's for fightin' over," Fleck urges readers to embrace a new, more optimistic narrative--a future where the Colorado continues to flow.
Water is Water: A Book about the Water Cycle
by Miranda Paul Jason ChinThis spare, poetic picture book follows a group of kids as they move through all the different phases of the water cycle. From rain to fog to snow to mist, talented author Miranda Paul and the always remarkable Jason Chin (Redwoods, Coral Reefs, Island, Gravity) combine to create a beautiful and informative journey in this innovative nonfiction picture book that will leave you thirsty for more.
Water Justice
by Rutgerd Boelens Tom Perreault Jeroen VosWater justice is becoming an ever-more pressing issue in times of increasing water-based inequalities and discrimination. Megacities, mining, forestry, industry and agribusiness claim an increasingly large share of available surface and groundwater reserves. Water grabbing and pollution generate poverty and endanger ecosystems' sustainability. Beyond large, visible injustices, the book also unfolds the many 'hidden' water world injustices, subtly masked as 'rational', 'equitable' and 'democratic'. It features critical conceptual approaches, including analysis of environmental, social, cultural and legal issues surrounding the distribution and management of water. Illustrated with case studies of historic and contemporary water injustices and contestations around the world, the book lays new ground for challenging current water governance forms and unequal power structures. It also provides inspiration for building alternative water realities. With contributions from renowned scholars, this is an indispensable book for students, researchers and policymakers interested in water governance, environmental policy and law, and political geography.
Water Justice and Groundwater Subsidies in India: Equitable and Sustainable Access and Regulation (Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management)
by Gayathri D. NaikThis book examines the impact of water-related subsidies on social and distributive equity and environmental sustainability in groundwater access and regulation in India.This book argues that adopting a water justice framework is essential to ensure equitable and sustainable access to and regulation of groundwater by balancing anthropogenic and ecological water needs. The inherent inequity resulting from property rights-controlled groundwater access gets widened by the social, political, and economic factors determining the subsidy beneficiaries. Adopting a socio-legal approach, this book draws on two contrasting case studies in India: Kerala, a water-secure state, and Rajasthan, an arid state. Arguing for a shift to a new paradigm in water governance, it critically examines the feasibility of the public trust doctrine and rights of nature discourse to analyse the best suitable regulatory framework that can balance the human right to water and ecological sustainability in groundwater resources. It demonstrates the feasibility of adopting various environmental law principles that balance human rights to water and nature. It argues that the hitherto highlighted public trust doctrine cannot address these inequities due to its anthropogenic bias and property rights link. This book examines the applicability of the rights of nature discourse instead of these property rights-based regulations to incorporate and mainstream the concerns of aquifer protection in water governance.This book shall be of great interest to students, scholars, and practitioners of water law and policy, environmental law, water and social justice, development studies, and political ecology.
Water (Kaleidoscope)
by Roy A. GallantExplains why water, although common, has characteristics which make it an unusual substance.
The Water Kingdom: A Secret History of China
by Philip Ball&“A rewarding read&” this political, social and cultural history of water management in China &“puts water beautifully back at the heart of China&’s story&” (Economist). From the Yangtze to the Yellow River, China is traversed by great waterways, which have defined its politics and ways of life for centuries. In The Water Kingdom, renowned writer Philip Ball opens that window to offer an epic and powerful new way of thinking about Chinese civilization. Water, Ball shows, is a key that unlocks much of Chinese culture. In The Water Kingdom, he takes us on a grand journey through China&’s past and present, showing how the complexity and energy of the country and its history repeatedly come back to the challenges, opportunities, and inspiration provided by the waterways. Drawing on stories from travelers and explorers, poets and painters, bureaucrats and activists, Ball explores how the ubiquitous relationship of the Chinese people to water has made it an enduring metaphor for philosophical thought and artistic expression. From the Han emperors to Mao, the ability to manage the waters--to provide irrigation and defend against floods--was a barometer of political legitimacy, often resulting in engineering works on a gigantic scale. It is a struggle that continues today, as the strain of economic growth on water resources may be the greatest threat to China&’s future.The Water Kingdom offers an unusual and fascinating history, uncovering just how much of China&’s art, politics, and outlook have been defined by the links between humanity and nature. &“Ball argues that China&’s future, like the past, can be read in the fate of its water.&” --Guardian
Water Land: Land and Water Forms Around the World
by Christy HaleA lake turns into an island.A cozy bay into a secluded cape.A gulf with sea turtles transforms into a peninsula surrounded by pirate ships.This unique information book for the very young switches between bodies of water and corresponding land masses with the simple turn of a page. Readers will delight as the story of Water Land unfolds and will see just how connected the earth and the water really are. This book has Common Core connections.
Water Law for the Twenty-First Century: National and International Aspects of Water Law Reform in India
by Philippe Cullet Alix Gowlland-Gualtieri Roopa Madhav Usha RamanathanIn the face of growing freshwater scarcity, most countries of the world are taking steps to conserve their water and foster its sustainable use. Water crises range from concerns of drinking water availability and/or quality, the degradation or contamination of freshwater, and the allocation of water to different users. To meet the challenge, many countries are undergoing systemic changes to the use of freshwater and the provision of water services, thereby leading to greater commercialization of the resource as well as a restructuring of the legal, regulatory, technical and institutional frameworks for water. The contributions to this book critically analyse legal issues arising under international law, such as environment and human rights provisions, concerning the economic, environmental and social consequences of proposed water regulatory changes and their implementation at the national level. The book examines the situation in India which is currently in the midst of implementing several World Bank led water restructuring projects which will have significant impacts on the realisation of the right to water and all other aspects of water regulation for decades to come. In analysing the situation in India the volume is able to detail the interactions between international law and national law in the field of water, and to ask broader questions about the compliance with international law at the national level and the relevance of international law in national law and policy-making.
Water Law, Policy and Economics in Italy: Between National Autonomy and EU Law Constraints (Global Issues in Water Policy #28)
by Paolo Turrini Antonio Massarutto Marco Pertile Alessandro De CarliThis book provides the first comprehensive overview of the most important water-related issues that centre on Italy, analysed from several disciplinary perspectives – such as hydrology, economics, law, sociology, environmental sciences and policy studies – in order to promote full understanding of the challenges the country is facing and the ways it could best tackle them.Despite the misconception that Italy is a water-scarce country, is in fact quite rich in water resources. Such resources, however, are unevenly distributed over the Italian territory. Italy’s northern regions rely on quite an abundant quantity of freshwater, whereas in the southern area water endowment is limited. Moreover, climatic differences between North and South contribute to widen the divide. This disparity has notable consequences of socio-economic character, some of which, in turn, feed back into the environmental conditions of Italian regions: pollution, floods, landslides and droughts are among the problems affecting the country. There are numerous features of water use and consumption that distinguish Italy from other comparable countries, such as the significant role played by agriculture (a water-intensive activity), a lead position in the consumption of bottled water, lower-than-average prices of water and a far-from-optimal efficiency of waterworks. All such aspects, and many others, make Italy an essential case study.