Poverty and Water: Explorations of the Reciprocal Relationship (International Studies in Poverty Research)

About the AuthorJuliana Martínez Franzoni is associate professor of political science at the University of Costa Rica.THOMAS POGGE received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard University, He has published widely on Kant and in moral and political philosophy, including various books on Rawls and global justice. He is Professor of Political Science at Columbia University and Professorial Fellow at the ANU Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. He is also editor for social and political philosophy for the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science.Thomas Pogge is Leitner professor of philosophy and international affairs at Yale University.Product DescriptionRarely has such a contentious and complex issue emerged in twenty-first century development as that of water. In this book, co-editors David Hemson, Kassin Kulindwa, Haakon Lein, and Adolfo Mascarenhas use a global spread of case studies to illustrate that water is not simply an issue of physical scarcity, but rather a complex and politically-driven issue with profound future implications, both in the developing world and outside it.The book argues that for the international community to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, governments must step in to protect the rights of the poor. Here, the links between poverty and access to clean water are explored with an eye to political reform that can end the exploitative policies of big business and help to shape a more equitable world for all.Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.Poverty and WaterExplorations of the Reciprocal RelationshipBy David Hemson, Kassim Kulindwa, Haakon Lein, Adolfo Mascarenhas Zed Books LtdCopyright © 2008 CROPAll rights reserved.ISBN: 978-1-84277-961-3ContentsList of boxes, tables and figures, vi,1 Water and poverty: the inextricable link Kassim Kulindwa and Haakon Lein, 1,2 Water for all: from firm promises to 'new realism'? David Hemson, 13,3 It takes two to tango: steps towards change in the water sector Jaqui Goldin, 47,4 The link between poverty and water supply: the Nigerian example Ayodele Aderinwale and Olumide A. Ajayi, 65,5 Water, agricultural development and rural poverty in Bangladesh Haakon Lein, 87,6 Opportunities for reforming the irrigation sector: the case of the Fish-Sundays scheme of the Eastern Cape Beatrice I. Conradie, 103,7 Rural water supply projects appraisal and poverty eradication in Tanzania Kassim Kulindwa, 121,8 Easing the burden on women? Water, cholera and poverty in South Africa David Hemson, 144,9 Water pricing, inequality and economic welfare: how can the new South African water policy support the well-being of the urban poor? Carl-Erik Schulz, 168,10 Conclusion: water for the poor pays Adolfo Mascarenhas, 191,About the contributors, 200,Index, 204,CHAPTER 1Water and poverty: the inextricable linkKassim Kulindwa and Haakon LeinIntroduction'Poverty is still the gravest insult to human dignity and is still with us despite decades of international efforts to eradicate it. Life at the edge of existence.' This is how the former Chair of the World Commission on Environment and Development, and former Prime Minister of Norway, Gro Harlem Brundtland, characterised poverty. Today, more than 20 years after the Commission presented their report Our Common Future, the claim is still as valid as then.Poverty can be defined in absolute and relative terms. Absolute poverty refers to individuals' abilities to meet their basic needs. In other words, individuals do not have the resources to meet their basic needs for healthy living and a dignified existence. They do not have the resources to provide for food, shelter, clothing and medical services, among other things. Relative poverty, on the other hand, compares the status of individuals against others in a community or society in terms of an income and wealth standard. According to this definition, the poor are those