Out of Water: From Abundance to Scarcity and How to Solve the World's Water Problems

by Colin Chartres

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.

Genres: Nonfiction

254 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 29, 2010

Reviews

[Sera]

A complex book for a complex issue. Fortunately, Chartres knows his stuff. This book has everything - a comprehensive look at the issues, what's causing it, data to support it, and a list of solutions that gave at least this reader some hope that the water scarcity issue can be overcome if enough attention is paid to it.

I thought that Chartres did an excellent job with this work, but I refrained from giving it 5 stars simply because the density of the analysis may lead the average person to shy away from reading this book.

We don't have enough dialogue around the topic of water scarcity, and it's the primary issue that will lead the world into a tailspin within the 20-30 years if we don't start coming up with solutions now.

Do yourself a favor and educate yourself about this subject. It's too important to be ignored.

[Lisa]

so. technical. if you're interested in water resource management this is for you. but it's not so much for me...