Book dossier

A History of water

by Terje Tvedt

"All societies must manage their water resources. How a society manages and controls its water resources - whether for food and farming, drinking, sanitation, power or transport - plays a formative role in its development. And today, with the global population exceeding seven billion people and the continuing threat of climate change, the challenge remains key to the future of the planet. The pioneering History of Water Series brings a much needed historical perspective to water issues, and reveals how water issues can only be fully understood when all aspects are properly integrated. Covering all aspects of water and society, the series is unprecedented in its geographical coverage and unrivalled in its multidisciplinary span. The volumes in Series II address the importance of our changing perceptions and understandings of water down the ages; the role of human/river relations in historical transformation processes; and the vital geopolitical aspects of water as our demands upon this finite source increase and are exacerbated by climate change. Volume 1: Ideas of Water from Ancient Societies to the Modern World Edited by Terje Tvedt and Terje Oestigard How has water been perceived in different societies and across different eras of history? How have these changing perceptions influenced society? In Ideas of Water, leading international scholars explore the rich record of our ideas, covering all aspects of water, from our changing scientific understandings to the diverse cultural and religious dimensions. The volume challenges conventional understandings and interpretations of water in nature and is one of the first attempts to provide a history of our changing ideas of the role of water in human society.Volume 2: Rivers & Society: From Early Civilizations to Modern Times Edited by Terje Tvedt and Richard CoopeyRivers and Society explores the ways in which human/river relations have shaped important historical transformation processes. Examples range from classical agrarian civilizations, such as the Indus, Angkor and Maya, to analyses of the role of water in the modernization process of countries such as Britain, Japan and Spain. The contributors provide new insights into the ways in which the key relationship between humans and water has given rise to new forms of social organization, new technologies and new economic activity.Volume 3: Water, Geopolitics and the New World OrderEdited by Terje Tvedt, Graham Chapman & Roar HagenAs current global trends lead to more people wanting more water, so access to water becomes ever more critical. Those favored by geography have the potential to control access to our planet's most precious - yet finite - resource. As the impact of climate change is felt, so added tensions will complicate already complex and delicate issues. This timely volume shows how water has become an issue of growing geopolitical importance - locally, regionally and globally. Drawing on a wealth of contrasting examples, the contributors offer a deeper understanding of the issues, of the close association between water and power, and of the potential for cooperative solutions."--Bloomsbury Publishing.