Many futurists and political scientists have warned that water, not oil or mineral resources, will be the spark for future territorial battles and wars. As the two authors of a new, timely atlas note, "Water means life."
Indeed, while we in Southern California may be becoming more aware of the value of water (given how much we have to import into our region), few of us truly grasp the singular importance of this almost magical liquid. After all, water slakes our thirst, grows our crops, forms the snow for recreation, supports our fish populations, constitutes wetlands that are rapidly disappearing, cools our nuclear plants and still provides a viable highway for goods and commerce in much of the world.
The "Atlas of Water" by Maggie Black and Jannet King maps and describes what they call the world's most critical resource. The book is part of a larger series of atlases on far-ranging topics including food, climate change, religion and health. With their solid background in water issues and sanitation, the authors are well qualified to write this book, yet they manage not to sound overly professorial or pedagogical. For the most part, the authors let the sidebars and illustrations do much of the talking in this second edition of the book.
The book is divided into six major chapters that range from "A Finite Resource," to "Water for Economic Production" and finally, a rather optimistic "Water for the Future." Some of the major subtopics include how water is priced and the merits of privatization versus municipal control, the probable effects of long-term climate change, how we damage our water supply and what can be done to correct the damage, and the relationship of our drinking water to fragile ecosystems.
An overall theme is that the impending water crisis in some areas is the result of the fact that most people live where water supplies are inadequate, not that the world lacks enough overall supply. Two major examples are India, which has 16 percent of the global population but only 3 percent of the water, and China, which has 19 percent of the world's population and only 6 percent of the water.
Other, more obvious, examples are major cities such as Los Angeles and Perth, Australia, where water for a growing population must be transported hundred of miles to meet the needs. The authors provide this information in a matter-of-fact, non-alarmist style ---- they let us see the problems but also offer hope and remedies.
For such a slim volume, it is brimming with facts, diagrams and useful information. While the data are presented in interesting prose, the maps and diagrams are the most compelling. The reader can turn to almost any page and see important and interesting facts in a variety of forms.
For instance, did you know that the volume of water on the planet essentially never changes, or that almost 60 percent of the world's major rivers are blocked by dams, or that two-thirds of freshwater withdrawals are for agriculture?
Despite all the great information, some pages may be a little too crammed, but the overall effect is pleasing and highly readable. The American reader who has not converted to the metric system may find the use of meters and cubic kilometers challenging, but not insurmountable.
The book is probably not broad enough to be widely read, but it can serve as a handy guide and reference for teachers and water management officials, and as a supplemental textbook in water resources classes.
In many ways, this book favorably complements "Introduction to Water in California" by David Carle, reviewed in this section several months ago. Carle's book focuses on California, while this book takes in a much broader landscape. Together, the two works offer the reader a glass that is more than half-full.
"The Atlas of Water"
*** (out of four)
Authors: Maggie Black and Jannet King
Publisher: University of California Press
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 128 with photographs, maps and illustrations
Price: $18.95
