Poverty and water : explorations of the reciprocal relationship /

This volume describes and analyzes the relationship between poverty and water, illustrated with case studies on South Africa, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Tanzania. A main point made is that ample water resources may exist, but dismal water development institutions combined with a shallow commitment to meet the water needs of the poor contribute to poverty. For example, in Nigeria, water development is central to poverty alleviation, but water collection time, waterborne diseases, and other problems detract from the opportunity for the poor to pursue other productive activities. Also, private, profit-making water enterprises may not result in reliable and safe water supply for the poor. In Bangladesh water markets have been developed by integrating local conditions into a water market framework. Contributors contend that institutional change--including greater government involvement--is critical to resolving water problems for the poor. This is especially true in the agricultural sector, given that poor farmers having access to water results in reduced poverty. In Tanzania there needs to be public-private water involvement to address rural poverty. This insightful work would be improved if contributors delineated the necessary and sufficient conditions for water supply reform that would improve the economic welfare of the poor in the countries surveyed. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections. B. F. Hope California State University, Chico