Policymakers and development planners have been curiously struck with "water blindness" in the face of a quadrupling of water use throughout the world during the last five decades. Without resorting to doom-and-gloom scenarios, Robin Clarke offers the first comprehensive approach to this most valuable and fragile of Earth's life supporting substances.Clarke describes the economics and the politics that have led to today's freshwater shortage and observes that inappropriate water resources development is a major factor in the degradation of land and water. His insightful analyses include new ideas as well as simple and well-tried solutions that can be extended to ensure future water security.Robin Clarke is the author of numerous environmental books, and consultant to the publishing program of the Global Environment Monitoring Systems of the United Nations Environment Program(GEMS UNEP). Read Less