Conflicts over water are a grim reality today, and this volume traces the reasons for these conflicts from the micro to the global level. The essays look at how the cumulative effect of gross negligence and mismanagement of water resources over the years have created water scarcity. They point out that the problem is not due to shortage of water, but due to the absence of proper mechanisms for its conservation, distribution, and efficient use. The essays are organized under three sub-themes--irrigation water, drinking water and sanitation, and gender and decentralization in water management.

This document is intended to provide an overview of the major components of surface and ground water quality and how these relate to ecosystem and human health. Local, regional, and global assessments of water quality monitoring data are used to illustrate key features of aquatic environments, and to demonstrate how human activities on the landscape can influence water quality in both positive and negative ways. Clear and concise background knowledge on water quality can serve to support other water assessments.

This report provides estimates of drinking water and sanitation coverage in 2004, by country and MDG region. It shows how many people have gained access since the MDG baseline year (1990) and identifies the challenges to meet the MDG drinking water and sanitation target over the coming decade. It compares progress towards the target, identifying which regions are on track, which are making progress but where progress is insufficient to reach the target, and which are not on track.