When the rivers run dry

There was a post on Fred Pearces' book not too long ago, but the discussion kind of wandered off topic. I'm posting this because "When the Rivers Run Dry" deserves the widest possible readership. Pearce is a terrific reporter and he tells a compelling story. On the ground interviews with farmers, fishermen, villagers, local officials, water managers, geologists, engineers and government functionaries are larded into a broad matrix of factual information to paint a picture of an essential resource, stressed to the point of failure. Local examples multiply to reveal an endlessly repeated pattern of waste, abuse and destruction of the commons, for the short term gain of a few, or to satisfy the ambitious schemes of politicians, who don't understand the consequences of their actions. Essential reading for anyone who wants an overview of the sad state of this key resource.