Hydropolitics in the Developing World: A Southern African Perspective

Turton, A.R. & Henwood, R. (Eds.),
African Water Issues Research Unit (AWIRU) (2002)

This book challenges the prevailing hydropolitics literature, which is biased in favour of international river basins where conflict is high, as this is inappropriate in Southern Africa. The point of departure is a new definition of hydropolitics as being a study of the authoritative allocation of values in society with respect to water. Emerging from this are two key elements - scale and range. In this regard, the new definition of hydropolitics incorporates all levels in society where values are allocated to water in an authoritative manner. Similarly, the complex and interconnected nature of water issues is reflected as the element of range. The book has 17 Chapters with a Foreword by Mr. Phera Ramoeli (SADC Water Sector Coordinator), and two special Messages by Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev (President of Green Cross International) and Minister Ronnie Kasrils (South African Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry). It is divided into five broad sections. Three of these deal with theoretical dimensions of hydropolitics, legal dimensions and selected studies of key issues showing both the range and scale aspects.

The book is distributed free of charge as part of the AWIRU commitment to building capacity in the Southern African Water Sector and can be used by any person on condition that it is cited appropriately as noted above.

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Table of Contents
Foreword by Mr. Phera Ramoeli (SADC Water Sector Coordinator)
Special Message by Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev (President of Green Cross International)
Special Message by Minister Ronnie Kasrils (South African Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry)

Part I: Introduction (305kB)
Chapter 1
Hydropolitics: the concept and its limitations
Anthony Turton

Part II: Some Theoretical Dimension
Chapter 2
Water resources in semi-arid regions: Real deficits and economically
invisible and politically silent solutions
Tony Allan

Chapter 3
The hydrosocial contract and its manifestation in society: A Southern
Africancase study
Anthony Turton & Richard Meissner

Chapter 4
River basin management reconsidered
Philippus Wester & Jeroen Warner

Chapter 5
Contributions in regime theory in understanding interstate water
co-operation: Lessons learned in the Jordan river basin
Anders Jägerskog

Part III: Legal Dimensions
Chapter 6
Development of international water law and the UN Watercourse
Convention
Gabriel Eckstein

Chapter 7
From Harmon to Helsinki: The evolutions of key principles in
international water law
Sackey Akweenda

Chapter 8
The SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourses: Its origin and current
status
Phera Pamoeli

Chapter 9
Water sector reforms in Southern Africa: Some case studies
Robyn Stein

Part IV: Selected Key Issues
Chapter 10
From bucket to basin: A new paradigm for water management, poverty
eradication and gender equity
Barbara Schreiner, Barbara van Koppen & Tshepo Khumbane

Chapter 11
Managing water from farmers' fields to river basins: Implications
of scale
David Molden & Douglas Merry

Chapter 12
Interbasin transfer of water between SADC countries: A development
challenge for the future
Piet Heyns

Chapter 13
Managing water in international river basins in Southern Africa:
International relations or foreign policy
Roland Henwood & Nicci Funke

Chapter 14
Water demand management and social adaptive capacity: A South
African case study
Peter Ashton & Bennie Haasbroek

Chapter 15
Water demand management and tourism in arid countries: Lessons
from Namibia
Klaudia Schachtschneider

Chapter 16
Water and HIV/AIDS: Some strategic considerations
Peter Ashton & Vasna Ramasar

Part V: Conclusion
Chapter 17
Expanding the hydropolitics concept: Towards a new research agenda
for Southern Africa
Anthony Turton

Part VI: Bibliography