Schelwald-van der Kley / Reijerkerk Water: A way of life

Sustainable water management in a cultural context
Erscheinungsjahr 2009
ISBN: 978-0-203-87236-9
Verlag: Taylor & Francis
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 140 Seiten

Why do many water management projects, begun with the best of intentions, still fail? How is it that large infrastructural water works often encounter opposition? Is it perhaps, among other things, the lack of attention for the cultural context? These and other intriguing questions are dealt with in this book. The authors, having 20 years of experience on water and sanitation in an international context, have investigated the relationship between water and culture world-wide in order to find new keys to successful and sustainable water management.

This book is based on extensive research and is intended to form a cultural road towards new sustainable water management practices. "Water: a way of life" takes the reader on a water journey through time and across the world’s continents. Along the way it explains the past and present ways in which different cultures around the world, both traditional and modern, view and manage water in response to the distinct environment they inhabit. As beliefs and values are at the heart of any culture, it also highlights the views of the main world religions on water and its use. A better understanding of cultural water beliefs and practices may lead to new concepts for future sustainable water management - from flood management to water supply, sanitation and irrigation management.

The book will be useful to water professionals exporting knowledge and technologies to foreign countries where the challenge is to create sustainable solutions for water management by taking into account local, cultural factors. It is also intended to encourage world leaders, politicians and decision-makers responsible for water management to use their power, knowledge and influence to really make a change for the benefit of the people they represent. In this way, water can become a source of cooperation rather than a source of conflict.

The authors trust that this book, about water and culture, intended for a truly international audience, will be a source of inspiration.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Schelwald-van der Kley, A.J.M. (Lida)

Reijerkerk, Linda

Fachgebiete

• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface
1. Introduction to Water & Culture
1. 1. The importance of the cultural dimension
1.2. Structure of the book
1.3. The broader context of sustainable water management
2. Water: a source of Life
2.1. Introduction
2.2. Water: the first and foremost (re)source
2.3 The secret to survival…
2.4 The challenge of change
2.5 Conclusions
3. Water: a source of Inspiration
3.1 Introduction
3.2. Water and Animism
3.3. Water and Hinduism
3.4. Water and Buddhism
3.5. Water and Judaism
3.6. Water and Christianity
3.7. Water and Islam
3.8. Other world religions
2012: The beginning of a new water era?
3.9 Conclusions: From water wisdom to wise water management?
4 Water: a source of Power
4.1. Introduction
4.2. Hydropower
4.3 Dams
4.4. Political power
4.5. Conclusions
5. Water: a source of Cooperation or Conflict?
5. Water: a source of Cooperation or Conflict?
5.1 Introduction
5.2. Water rights
5.2.1. Who owns the water?
Photo: Battle on water dispute Cochabamba, Bolivia
5.2.2. Competitive rights and interests
5.3 Water distribution
5.4. Water conflicts
5.4.1. Water as a source of conflict
5.4.2. Water as warfare instrument
5.5. Water cooperation
5.6. Water dispute resolution
5.7 Conclusions
6. Water: a source of Sustainability
6.1. Introduction
6.2 Sustainable water management
6.3. Role of different actors in sustainable water management
6.4. How to take culture into account in water management?
6.4.1. Understanding cultural differences
6.4.2. Applying cultural models for sustainable water management
6.5. Cultural Impact assessment
6.6. Intercultural interpersonal communication and cultural competence
6.7. Success factors for sustainable intercultural water management
6.8. Conclusion

Über Autor(innen)

Lida Schelwald-van der Kley has worked as an international environmental consultant for both private companies and government organizations for over 20 years. Since 1994 Lida is managing director of her own consultancy company, Envision-S. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of a Dutch Water Board. Lida is author of several international publications on successful communication between industrial companies and their stakeholders.
Linda Reijerkerk has been working since 1985 in a variety of countries as a cultural anthropologist and international water management consultant with a clear focus on processes and institutional development and management. As Linda noticed an increase in water conflicts, she specialised as a mediator in 1997. She is now Director of the Centre for Conflict Resolution in the Netherlands, specialised in mediation and negotiation training. She is author of several publications on mediation, conflict resolution and culture.