News

First Class is on Wednesday, September 4 at 3 PM in room 32-123.
Don't know where it is? Find it here. Please be on time

Class readings for week 1 are Tragedy of the Commons and Extensions of Tragedy of the Commons by Garrett Hardin, as well as Kay's The Ultimate Tragedy of the Commons and Resilience by Marq de Villiers.

Class Assignment due Sept 16 is available as a PDF here.

Special Lecture Friday October 4 by Dhaval Adjodah entitled "How I'm using Terrascope Lessons to Change the World".

Special Project on Ethiopian Dam: Here are the materials.


Special Lecture Wednesday October 16 by Charlie Harvey on: Arsenic contaminated drinking water in South Asia. note it will be held in E25 room

Special Lecture Monday November 18 by Lawrence Susskind MIT DUSP on: Attacking the Basic Logic of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) note it will be held in regular Monday room

Here are the three panelists who will judge your final presentation and web site

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Class Lectures

Sams's Powerpoint^® presentation for the first class is here. View a PDF here.

Sams's Powerpoint^® presentation for the second class is here. View a PDF here

Sams's Powerpoint^® presentation for the third class is here. View a PDF here

Library Powerpoint^® presentation (4th class) is here. View a PDF here

Hal Gustin's presentation is here

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Water Issues in the News

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Web Sites of Interest

2013 - United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation

International Decade for Action Water for Life 2005-2015

The Pacific Institute has a great deal of information of global water issues. It is based in Oakland, California, and is a nonpartisan research institute that works to create a healthier planet and sustainable communities. Through interdisciplinary research and partnering with stakeholders, the Institute produces solutions that advance environmental protection, economic development, and social equity – in California, nationally, and internationally.

MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning has a very useful website on water diplomacy. This is a great resource and you should also not be bashful about approaching some people in that department. It is headed up by Professor Lawrence Susskind.

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PDFs

Water security: Debating an emerging paradigm provides a comprehensive review of the concept of water security, including both academic and policy literatures.

The human right to water argues that access to a basic water requirement is a fundamental human right implicitly and explicitly supported by international law, declarations and State practice.

Global Water Security: Engineering the Future suggests ways to increase water security for the benefit of humanity.

A vital link: water and vegetation in the Anthropocene explores the relationships between water, vegetation and human activities.

The Millenium Development Goals Report focuses on progress made in alleviating poverty and unnecessary death

A Thirst for Distant Lands: Foreign investment in agricultural land and water

What you should know about Saudi investment in African farmland. Saudi Arabia is investing in agricultural land in Africa as the state’s local crop production diminish

Foreign Leasing of Agricultural Land In Africa: A Good Thing

Massive, irresponsible lease of African farm land threatens Africa

Global Water Framework 6th World Water Forum Marseille

China and water

Water Resource Issues, Policy and Politics in China

On foes and flows: Water conflict and cooperation in the Nile River Basin in times of climate change

Nile River Basin: Limits to Population Growth and Water Resource Adequacy

Wall St. Exploits Ethanol Credits, and Prices Spike

Groundwater must be managed

Water and the Tar Sands

Thinking about water differently

Water hungry coal

Modelling: Farmers would benefit from better long-range weather forecasts.

The flow of Technology: Farmers must deveop new approaches for producing crops

Economic disaster beckons as investors buy up Africa's land

Nestlé: Global search for liquid gold

World Bank gambling assets by investing in private water firms

Hot and thirsty energy business needs water

UV water plantopens in New York

Water shortage will worsen due to climate change

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From Sam's Bookshelf

The Atlas of Water, Second Edition: Mapping the World's Most Critical Resource
Maggie Black, Jannet King, Candida Lacey

Water Security: The Water-Food-Energy-Climate Nexus
The World Economic Forum Water Initiative

Nature's Fortune: How Business and Society Thrive by Investing in Nature
Mark R. Tercek and Jonathan S. Adams


Water, Peace, and War: Confronting the Global Water Crisis
Brahma Chellaney

Privatizing Water: Governance Failure and the World's Urban Water Crisis
Karen Bakker a review

The World's Water Volume 7: The Biennial Report on Freshwater Resources (World's Water (Quality)
Peter H. Gleick

Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water
Maude Barlow

Thirst: Fighting the Corporate Theft of Our Water
Alan Snitow, Deborah Kaufman, Michael Fox

The Water Business: Corporations Versus People (Global Issues)
Ann-Christin Sjölander Holland

The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water
Charles Fishman

Water: Asia's New Battleground
Brahma Chellaney

ADDED Sept 11: Water Security: Conflicts, Threats, Policies
James A. Tindall and Andrew A. Campbell