Globalization has significantly redefined the nature of governance in the water sector. Non-state actors-multilateral and transnational donor agencies and corporations, non-government organizations, markets, and civil society at large-are assuming a bigger role in public policy-making for water resource management. New discourses on neoliberalism, integrated water resource management (IWRM), public-private partnerships, privatization, and gender equity have come to influence water governance. Drawing upon detailed case studies from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan, this volume shows the implications of these new global paradigms for water allocation and management practices, institutions and governance structures in South Asia. It suggests that, despite claims to the contrary, they have done little to further human well-being, reduce gender disparity, or improve accountability and transparency in the system. Steering away from blueprint approaches, it argues for a more nuanced and contextual understanding of water management challenges, based on local knowledge and initiatives. This book will be useful to those interested in political economy and water governance, natural resource management, environmental studies, development studies, and public administration, as well as to water professionals, policy-makers and civil society activists.

Globalization has significantly redefined the nature of governance in the water sector. Non-state actors-multilateral and transnational donor agencies and corporations, non-government organizations, markets, and civil society at large-are assuming a bigger role in public policy-making for water resource management. New discourses on neoliberalism, integrated water resource management (IWRM), public-private partnerships, privatization, and gender equity have come to influence water governance. Drawing upon detailed case studies from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan, this volume shows the implications of these new global paradigms for water allocation and management practices, institutions and governance structures in South Asia. It suggests that, despite claims to the contrary, they have done little to further human well-being, reduce gender disparity, or improve accountability and transparency in the system. Steering away from blueprint approaches, it argues for a more nuanced and contextual understanding of water management challenges, based on local knowledge and initiatives. This book will be useful to those interested in political economy and water governance, natural resource management, environmental studies, development studies, and public administration, as well as to water professionals, policy-makers and civil society activists.

An increasing recognition of the need to understand the complex systems in the health sector has raised the demand for an examination of water and health from a systemic perspective. Analyzing the various discourses on the subject, the volume revolves around this central question: What are the linkages between water and health in South Asia? The interlacing of water and health exists wherever human health is adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by changes in the quality and quantity of water. These adverse effects are linked with poverty, environment, and infrastructure in the overall socio-political and economic-developmental context. The book looks at the linkage between water and health in an integrated manner, and is not based on the 'absence of disease' syndrome. The curative, preventive, and adaptive aspects of the public-health problem have also been delved into. Among other areas, the articles deal with water and health with reference to water supply, sanitation, water pollution, natural disasters, urbanization, and industrialization. Armed with the latest research and case studies from South Asia, the book calls for a comprehensive understanding and better integration of water and health issues in the region. Interlacing Water and Human Health is the third volume in the Water in South Asia Series published by SAGE and South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies (SaciWATERs).