Winner of the Asia Society's Bernard Schwartz 2012 Book Award
The battles of yesterday were fought over land. Those of today are over energy. But the battles of tomorrow may be over water. Nowhere is that danger greater than in water-distressed Asia.
Water stress is set to become Asia's defining crisis of the twenty-first century, creating obstacles to continued rapid economic growth, stoking interstate tensions over shared resources, exacerbating long-time territorial disputes, and imposing further hardships on the poor. Asia is home to many of the world's great rivers and lakes, but its huge population and exploding economic and agricultural demand for water make it the most water-scarce continent on a per capita basis. Many of Asia's water sources cross national boundaries, and as less and less water is available, international tensions will rise. The potential for conflict is further underscored by China's unrivaled global status as the source of transboundary river flows to the largest number of countries, ranging from India and Vietnam to Russia and Kazakhstan; yet a fast-rising China has declined to enter into water-sharing or cooperative treaties with these states, even as it taps the resources of international rivers.
Water: Asia's New Battleground is a pioneering study of Asia's murky water politics and the relationships between fresh water, peace, and security. In this unique and highly readable book, Brahma Chellaney expertly paints a larger picture of water across Asia, highlights the security implications of resource-linked territorial disputes, and proposes real strategies to avoid conflict and more equitably share Asia's water resources.
Industry Reviews
A formidable interdisciplinary book. [Chellaney] has done readers a great service in tracking down reams of scholarly information, beautifully knit together, covering a dazzling range of countries and disciples, from Bangladesh to Mongolia, climate change science to regional security doctrine. Despite the vast scope of the book, the writing is clear and lively. Its main contribution is in synthesizing the many trickles of the international discussion on Asia and water into one single current. The Washington Monthly A well-written book which uses relatively clear and sophisticated language while still remaining accessible to readers without prior knowledge of the subject. Pacific Affairs This well-researched volume is a fascinating blend of geography, hydrology and politics... A sobering read for those of us residing in Asia, and the weight of its message certainly deserves urgent and widespread attention. Asian Review of Books Masterful, pioneering study ... superbly combines a panoramic picture of Asia as a 'global water crisis hub' with detailed case studies of potential water wars. Global Asia Chellaney's new book is an exhaustive study of a narrow, but vital, aspect of the Asian security landscape: the growing struggle for water resources. Financial Times Ranging widely across the region, this forcefully written study warns of a growing risk of interstate conflicts over water. The only way to avoid such outcomes, Chellaney argues, is to adopt a cooperative, rules-based approach to water management. Foreign Affairs The author provides a comprehensive analysis of the roots of the Asian water crisis, combing hydrology, global politics, and cultural history. Fortunately, Chellaney offers potential policy solutions. Choice A valuable contribution to a subject that still receives too little attention when power politics are discussed. Contemporary Southeast Asia Water will undoubtedly cause most readers to look at the world differently... tells an immensely important story and Chellaney has myriad facts at his fingertips." Commonweal Magazine This book is a gem. Environmental Education
