Les politiques de l'eau

Water management lends itself easily to moral and political controversy. The fact that at present, some 2.1 billion people still do not have access to drinking water in their home, or that three million children die every year from water-related diseases, prompts major questions as to our collective inability to manage such a vital resource efficiently, for the good of all.

Policy decisions in terms of resource distribution and pricing and water quality frequently prompt criticism of the influence of lobby groups or major firms in the sector, to which the authorities are seen to pay more heed than to "civil society". Nevertheless, new public discourses are constantly emerging in terms of how to govern and manage water better, recommending a more "integrated", more environmentally friendly, fairer and more democratic approach.

What are the rationales behind current water policy? Who really drafts it? How can we explain how it has changed over time and the major differences in policy between different states and territories? What are the effects of policy on user behaviour and social relations? This book addresses all these institutional and political questions, based on numerous examples from France and elsewhere.

Les politiques de l'eau
S. Barone, P.-L. Mayaux
Editions LGDJ 
Clefs collection 
2019