Maggie Black 
The Atlas of Water 
Mapping the World’s Most Critical Resource

Climate change,  population increase,  and the demands made by the growing number of people adopting urban lifestyles and western diets threaten the world’s supply of freshwater, edging us closer to a global water crisis, with dire implications for agriculture, the economy, the environment, and human health. Completely revised and updated,  
The Atlas of Water is a compelling visual guide to the state of this life-sustaining resource. Using vivid graphics, maps, and charts, it explores the complex human interaction with water around the world. This vibrant atlas addresses all the pressing issues concerning water,  from water shortages and excessive demand, to dams, pollution, and privatization,  all considered in terms of the growing threat of an increasingly unpredictable climate. It also outlines critical tools for managing water, providing safe access to water, and preserving the future of the world’s water supply.

Table of Content

Introduction

Acknowledgements

Glossary

Useful Conversions


Part 1 A Finite Resource

1 Global Water

2 Water’s Unequal Distribution

3 Water Shortage

4 Rising Demand

5 Dwindling Supply

6 Competition and Conflict

7 Environmental Security


Part 2 Water and Climate Change

8 Ice and Snow Melt

9 Storms and Floods

10 Droughts

11 River Basin Stresses


Part 3 Water for Living

12 Water for Drinking

13 Water for Food

14 Water for Sanitation

15 Water in the City

16 Water at Home

17 Water and Disease


Part 4 Water for Economic Production

18 Water Footprint

19 Water for Irrigation

20 Water for Fisheries

21 Water for Industry

22 Water for Energy

23 Transport and Leisure

24 Water for Sale


Part 5 Damaged Water

25 Dammed Rivers

26 Dispossession by Water

27 Water Pollutants

28 Water Pollution

29 Damaged Waterwrways

30 Threatened Ecologies


Part 6 Water for the Future

31 Technological Fixes

32 The Rising Price of Water

33 Treaties and Obligations

34 Striving for Co-operation

35 Managing the Future


Part 7 Data Tables and Sources

Needs and Resources

Water Uses

Sources

Index

About the author

Maggie Black has written on international issues for UNICEF Water Aid and the Global Water Partnership, among others. Her books include Water: A Matter of Life and Health (with Rupert Talbot),  Water Life Force, the No-Nonsense Guide to Water, and The Last Taboo: Opening the Door on the Global Sanitation Crisis (with Ben Fawcett).