The book is one of the first of its kind discussing transboundary water resources management from the perspective of international relations and regional cooperation. Managing transboundary waters is not just the domain of water managers but involves other considerations of foreign policy, diplomacy, trade and related issues. The monograph brings together diverse perspectives from politicians, diplomats, academics, practitioners, bureaucrats, scientists and civil society on the concept of Hydro-diplomacy. As very aptly put by Gopalkrishna Gandhi, "A new hydro-cartography and a new hydro-wisdom must back hydro-diplomacy to address river water issues and to face the larger water crisis that looms overhead and under our feet". IUCN is hopeful that this publication would pave the way for further understanding and deliberations on the subject of Hydro-diplomacy.

Highlighting how people work together to secure water for all through innovative approaches in basins, this book draws from a cross-section of 43 case studies. It also highlights challenges in improving governance and water performance and illustrates examples of new approaches and practices that basin managers are now applying to secure water for all. The solutions presented are home grown, building on international experience rather than transplants from elsewhere. Top experts have authored this colorful volume that brings wealth of intelligence on the subject of growing global importance and includes messages from a host of world authorities on water management. Copublication partners for this important work include: the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the Asian Development Bank, Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO), and the Water and Nature Initiative.

Springs of Life is a book about water in all its complexities. It is an exhaustive account of water in India, and documents the natural beauty of the water bodies, the ways in which communities live and interact with water, particularly in hostile ecosystems, the resilience of people living in water stressed regions and their common sense solutions to local water problems. ""Springs of Life"" is a rare combination of an academic book with a coffee table presentation, for the first time integrating academic rigor with field reality and pictures from the ground (over 600 colored photographs!). Without binding itself to any one discipline of irrigation or water supply, the book looks at the entire spectrum of water in the country. The research is substantiated by evidence and stories from the field, with pictures taken by traveling more than 25,000 kilometers by road across the length and breadth of the country. ""Springs of Life"" is about India, but this is where about one-sixth of the world's population lives, making it a vast resource of experiences in dealing with issues related to water. India is blessed with nearly all types of agro-climatic zones - from the cold desert to the hot desert, from mountains that rise to eight thousand meters, to a coastline of more than seven thousand kilometers. India also has the place with the highest rainfall in the world and the largest riverine island. India in a way is a microcosm of the world in terms of the diversity of natural resources and ecosystems.

The programme of Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) in India has been one of the most ambitious ideas ever, of any government till date. It is an idea that has conjured up visions for the common Indian - of a country free from floods and droughts, and people in Tamil Nadu tasting the sweet waters of the holy Ganges. Such images of passion and emotion contrasted together with the recurring floods and droughts in various parts of the country have helped those in power to sell the dream of river linking to the people. Backed by the Supreme Court judgement and a supportive and a strong advocate of the project, the President of India, the NDA government went all out to promote and get this project initiated. The present UPA government is also taking forward this idea. The book is one of the first attempts in India to look at the river linking project from a rational and well researched perspective. It is not a one sided view; care has been taken to analyse the project in an unbiased way. The book throws up various pros and cons associated with the project, and also gives insights into how such projects can be analysed. On the Ken-Betwa link, various experts have pointed out the gaps in the prefeasibility report, where further work needs to be done, and what needs to be taken into consideration when such projects are planned.

Making IWRM everybody's business is the underlying philosophy of this publication. IWRM literature is normally aimed at academics, leaving out most of the stakeholders without whose participation there can be no implementation of IWRM. These are a large section of development professionals, the civil society, local communities, government officials and even the private sector. IWRM also involves professionals from many different fields, such as engineers, economists, and social scientists who also need to understand IWRM if they are to make effective contribution to the reform and implementation process. Publications by different organisations focus on their own definitions and programmes. There needs to be better exchange of information, methodology and coordination between the different organisations that promote IWRM. Through this document the authors have tried to introduce the concept of IWRM and bring together various definitions prevalent today, without any particular focus on any one definition or organisation. They try to explain the normative, strategic and operative dimensions of IWRM in a way that is easy to understand even for the least knowledgeable. The language and terminology used is simple and the authors avoid the use of 'jargon' and 'rhetoric'.