Global Freshwater Crisis

Readings

WEEK #	TOPICS	READINGS
1	Water for life: Commons, commodity, nature/culture	Postel, Sandra. “Water for Life.” Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 7, no. 2 (2009): 63. “Guiding Principles.” The Dublin Statement on Water and Sustainable Development. International Conference on Water and the Environment, 1992.
2	Water, history, and culture	Cech, Thomas V. “Historical Perspective of Water Use and Development.” Chapter 1 in Principles of Water Resources: History, Development, Management, and Policy. Wiley, 2002. ISBN: 9780471438618. Gordon, David M. “From Sacred Ownership to Colonial Commons: Water Tenure Systems in Central Africa.” Chapter 2 in A History of Water: Volume III: The World of Water. Edited by Terje Tvedt and Terje Oestigaard. I. B. Tauris, 2006, pp. 18–37. ISBN: 9781850434474. Worster, Donald. “Water in the Age of Imperialism — and Beyond.” Chapter 1 in A History of Water: Volume III: The World of Water. Edited by Terje Tvedt and Terje Oestigaard. I. B. Tauris, 2006, pp. 5–17. ISBN: 9781850434474.
3	Water resources: The physical system, weather, and climate	Cech, Thomas V. “The Hydrologic Cycle, Climate, and Weather.” Chapter 2 in Principles of Water Resources: History, Development, Management, and Policy. Wiley, 2002. ISBN: 9780471438618. Postel, Sandra L., Gretchen C. Daily, et al. “Human Appropriation of Renewable Fresh Water.” Science 271, no. 5250 (1996): 785–8.
	Water law	United Nations Economic and Social Council. “The Right to Water.” Article 11–12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 2002. “Water and Sanitation Become Human Rights, Albeit Turbidly.” The Lancet 376, no. 9739 (2010): 390. Pennington, Karrie Lynn, and Thomas V. Cech. “Water Allocation Law.” Chapter 12 in Introduction to Water Resources and Environmental Issues. Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780521869881. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. “A Landmark Decision to Make the Right to Water and Sanitation Legally Binding.” United Nations, October 6, 2010.
4	Field trip 1: Water power - Lowell National Historical Park	Francis, James B. Preface 1 in Lowell Hydraulic Experiments. 4th ed. D. Van Nostrand, 1883. [Preview with Google Books] ———. “Experiments Upon the Tremont Turbine: Introduction.” Chapter 1 in Lowell Hydraulic Experiments. 4th ed. D. Van Nostrand, 1883, pp. 1–7.[Preview with Google Books] “Alstom to Supply Equipment to Guanyinyan Hydroelectric Dam in China.” Electric Light & Power, POWERGRID International, and Utility Products (2010). “Improvements in Energy Efficiency, Historic Preservation in Park.” Official Lowell Park Newspaper, 2011. (PDF - 3.1MB) Malone, Patrick M. Chapters 1 and 2 in Waterpower in Lowell: Engineering and Industry in Nineteenth-Century America. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780801893063. “Boott: General Information.” Enel Green Power. jich3. “Appleton Mill Water Wheel Part 1.” March 25, 2008. YouTube. Accessed October 26, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efZfa8w7VNg.
	Water management	Milly, P. C. D., Julio Betancourt, et al. “Stationarity is Dead: Whither Water Management?” Science 319, no. 5863 (2008): 573–4. Hardin, Garrett. “The Tragedy of the Commons.” Science 162, no. 3859 (1968): 1243-8. Pennington, Karrie Lynn, and Thomas V. Cech. “Roles of Federal, Regional, State and Local Water Management Agencies.” Chapter 13 in Introduction to Water Resources and Environmental Issues. Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780521869881.
5	China’s Three Gorges Dam Controversy	Gleick, Peter H. “Three Gorges Dam Project, Yangtze River, China.” In The World’s Water 2008–2009. Island Press, 2008. ISBN: 9781597265058. Qing, Dai. “The Struggle to Publish Yangtze! Yangtze! In China.” Chapter 1 in Yangtze! Yangtze!. Probe International (2009). Yongchen, Wang. “Murky Waters Stain China’s Booming Hydro Industry,” Global Times, February 18, 2011. Select one essay from: The Big Dam Debate and the Three Gorges Project. Edited by Susan Murcott. Special Issue of Boston Society of Civil Engineers: Civil Engineering Practice 12, no. 1 (1997). Economy, Elizabeth C. “The New Politics of the Environment.” Chapter 5 in The River Runs Black: The Environmental Challenge to China’s Future. Cornell University Press, 2004. ISBN: 9780801442209.
	Dams, reservoirs, and hydropower	Pennington, Karrie Lynn, and Thomas V. Cech. “Dams and Reservoirs.” Chapter 10 in Introduction to Water Resources and Environmental Issues. Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780521869881. Richter, Brian D., Sandra Postel, et al. “Lost in Development’s Shadow: The Downstream Human Consequences of Dams.” Water Alternatives 3, no. 2 (2010): 14–42. (PDF - 1.3MB)
6	Water scarcity	United Nations. “Water Scarcity, Risk, Vulnerability.” Chapter 4 in Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty, and the Global Water Crisis. Human Development Report, 2006. (PDF - 1.6MB) Palaniappan, Meena, and Peter H. Gleick. “Peak Water.” Chapter 1 in The World’s Water 2008–2009. Island Press, 2008. ISBN: 9781597265058. Rogers, Peter. “Facing the Freshwater Crisis.” The Scientific American, August 2008.
	Water pollution	Carson, Rachel. “A Fable for Tomorrow.” Chapter 1 in Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. ISBN: 9780618249060. ———. “Surface Waters and Underground Seas.” Chapter 4 in Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. ISBN: 9780618249060. Cech, Thomas V. “Water Quality.” Chapter 10 in Principles of Water Resources: History, Development, Management, and Policy. Wiley, 2002. ISBN: 9780471438618. United Nations Children’s Fund. “The Effects of Poor Water Quality.” Chapter 2 in UNICEF Handbook on Water Quality. UNICEF, 2008, pp. 4–44. (PDF - 1.0MB)
	Water and energy: Hydraulic fracturing	Zeller Jr., Tom. “E.P.A. Considers Risks of Gas Extraction,” New York Times, July 23, 2010. Urbina, Ian. “Regulation Lax as Gas Wells’ Tainted Water Hits Rivers,” New York Times, February 26, 2011. ———. “Wastewater Recycling No Cure-All in Gas Process,” New York Times, March 1, 2011. American Petroleum Institute. “Hydraulic Fracturing Operations - Well Construction and Integrity Guidelines.” API HF1, October 2009. (PDF - 2.0MB) Lustgarten, Abrahm. “Buried Secrets: Is Natural Gas Drilling Endangering U.S. Water Supplies?” ProPublica, November 13, 2008.
7	Field trip 2: Cambridge Water Treatment Plant	City of Cambridge. “Water Operations Division.” Cambridge Water Division. Davis, Mackenzie L., and David A. Cornwell. “Water Treatment.” Chapter 4 in Introduction to Environmental Engineering. 4th ed. McGraw Hill, 2006. ISBN: 9780072424119.
	Water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH)	United Nations Development Program. “Ending the Crisis in Water and Sanitation.” Chapter 1 in Human Development Report, 2006. (PDF - 1.3MB) WHO and UNICEF. Progress on Sanitation and Drinking-Water, 2010 Update. WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation, 2010. (PDF - 12.6MB) Roy, Nilanjana S. “Improving Women’s Status, One Bathroom at a Time,” New York Times, March 15, 2011. “Clean Water for Better Health.” American.gov, Photo Gallery. McConnell, Kathryn. “Safe Water Means Better Health in Ghana, Cambodia.” America.gov (2011).
8	WASH and Pure Home Water’s story and factory update	Nelson, Theresa C., Cynthia Ingols, et al. “Susan Murcott and Pure Home Water: Building a Sustainable Mission-Driven Enterprise in Northern Ghana.” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 35, no. 6 (2011).
	Water and climate change	Cooley, Heather. “Water Management in a Changing Climate.” Chapter 3 in The World’s Water 2008-2009. Edited by Peter H. Gleick. Island Press, 2008. ISBN: 9781597265058. Kundzewicz, Zbigniew W., Luis José Mata, et al. “Freshwater Resources and their Management.” Chapter 3 in Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Cambridge University Press, 2007. (PDF - 3.6MB) Core Writing Team. Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007. (PDF - 4.0MB) Chen, Zhuocheng, Stephen E. Grasby, et al. “Relation Between Climate Variability and Groundwater Levels in Upper Carbonate Aquifer, Southern Manitoba, Canada.” Journal of Hydrology 290, no. 1–2 (2004): 43–62.
9	Water conflict and cooperation	United Nations Development Program. “Managing Transboundary Water.” Chapter 6 in Human Development Report, 2006. (PDF - 1.0MB) Montenegro, Maywa. “The Truth About Water Wars.” SEED Magazine, May 14, 2009. Gleick, Peter. “Water Conflict Chronology.” Pacific Institute. Draper, Stephen E., ed. “Water Allocation Strategies.” Section 5 in Sharing Water in Times of Scarcity. American Society of Civil Engineers, 2006. ISBN: 9780784408469. Zhang, David D., Peter Brecke, et al. “Global Climate Change, War, and Population Decline in Recent Human History.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 104, no. 49 (2007): 19214–9.
	Watersheds, landscape and urban design; Adaption through policy planning, management, and economic tools	Pennington, Karrie Lynn, and Thomas V. Cech. “Watershed Basics.” Chapter 5 in Introduction to Water Resources and Environmental Issues. Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780521869881. Philadelphia Water Department. Green City, Clean Waters: Summary Report. Amended on June 1, 2011. (PDF - 4.5MB) Kounkey Design Initiative (KDI) Blog Kdiharvard. “Kounkuey Design Inititative. Productive Public Space.” October 29, 2007. YouTube. Accessed November 1, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVJ9v9Umwoo
10	Adaption: Integrated water resources management	“What is IWRM?” Global Water Partnership. Grigg, Neil S. “Integrated Water Resources Management: Balancing Views and Improving Practice.” Water International 33, no. 3 (2008): 279–92. Wolf, Aaron T., Shira B. Yoffe, et al. “International Waters: Identifying Basins at Risk.” Water Policy 5, no. 1 (2003): 29–60. McDonnell, Rachael A. “Challenges for Integrated Water Resources Management: How Do We Provide the Knowledge to Support Truly Integrated Thinking.” International Journal of Water Resources Development 24, no. 1 (2008): 131–43. Read one example: UNESCO. “Good Examples.” Chapter 5 in IWRM Guidelines at River Basin Level, Part 2–1. UNESCO 2009, pp. 59–168. (PDF - 7.9MB) Sadoff, Claudia W., and David Grey. “Cooperation on International Rivers.” Water International 30, no. 4 (2005): 420–7. (PDF) Vorosmarty, C. J., P. B. McIntyre, et al. “Global Threats to Human Water Security and River Biodiversity.” Nature 467 (2010): 555–61. Pahl-Wostl, Claudia. “Transitions Toward Adaptive Management of Water Facing Climate and Global Change.” Water Resources Management 21 (2007): 49–62. (PDF)
11	Ecological waterscapes	“Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters: Design Guidelines.” Public Utilities Board, Singapore, 2009. (PDF - 16.1MB) European Union. “Public Participation in Relation to the Water Framework Directive.” Guidance Document No. 8. Water Framework Directive, 2003. (PDF - 3.3MB)
12	Protecting water: Green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and waste stabilization ponds	Ludwig, Art. “Thinking About Water.” Chapter 1 in Water Storage. Oasis Design, 2005. ISBN: 9780964343368. ———. “Ways to Store.” Chapter 2 in Water Storage. Oasis Design, 2005. ISBN: 9780964343368. Varon, Miguel Ricardo Pena. “Water Stabilization Ponds for Wastewater Treatment.” International Water and Sanitation Centre, 2003. Minke, Gernot. “Inclined Green Roofs - Ecological and Economical Advantages, Passive Heating and Cooling Effect.” CESB07 Prague: Proceedings International Conference ‘Central Europe towards Sustainable Building, 2007. (PDF) xantilli8. “Babilonia Water Tower.” April 23, 2011. YouTube. Accessed November 1, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqRXleK69Y8
	Water footprint	Pabich, Wendy J. Hydrophilia (blog). Woelfle-Erskine, Cleo, Berit Anderson, et al. “6 Simple Ways to Bring the Water Revolution Home.” Yes!, May 27, 2010. Hoekstra, A. Y., and A. K. Capagain. “Water Footprints of Nations: Water Use by People as a Function of Their Consumption Pattern.” In Integrated Assessment of Water Resources and Global Change. Edited by Eric Craswell, Mike Bonnell, et al. Springer, 2007. ISBN: 9781402055904. Aldaya, Maite M., Pedro Martinez-Santos, et al. “Incorporating the Water Footprint and Virtual Water into Policy: Reflections from the Mancha Occidental Region, Spain.” Water Resource Management 24 (2010): 941–58. (PDF - 1.2MB) Falkenmark, Malin, and Johan Rockstrom. “The New Blue and Green Water Paradigm: Breaking New Ground for Water Resources Planning and Management.” Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management 132, no. 3 (2006): 129–32. (PDF - 1.6MB) Aldaya, Maite M., and A. Y. Hoekstra. “The Water Needed for Italians to Eat Pasta and Pizza.” Agricultural Systems 103, no. 6 (2010): 351–60.
13	Water, food security, and agriculture	Falkenmark, Malin. “Shifts in Thinking to Address the 21st Century Hunger Gap.” In Integrated Assessment of Water Resources and Global Change. Edited by Eric Craswell, Mike Bonnell, et al. Springer, 2007. ISBN: 9781402055904. “Summary.” In Water for Food, Water for Life. Edited by David Molden. International Water Management Institute, 2007. (PDF - 3.8MB) Molden, David, Jean-Marc Faures, et al. “Setting the Scene.” Chapter 1 in Water for Food, Water for Life. Edited by David Molden. International Water Management Institute, 2007. (PDF) Molden, David, Karen Franken, et al. “Trends in Water and Agricultural Development.” Chapter 2 in Water for Food, Water for Life. Edited by David Molden. International Water Management Institute, 2007. (PDF - 3.0MB) United Nations “Water Competition in Agriculture.” Chapter 5 in Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty, and the Global Water Crisis. Human Development Report, 2006. (PDF)
	Field trip #3: New Charles River Dam and Massachusetts Dams	Yount, Scot. “Officials Keep Close Eye on Upper Mystic River Dam in Arlington, Mass.” New England Cable News, March 30, 2010. “Mystic River Dam Rehabilitation Project.” Mystic River Watershed Association.
14	Student presentations; Water visions: The next 50 years	Postel, Sandra. “In Harmony with Earth’s Water Cycle.” Chapter 21 in The Way We Will Be 50 Years from Today. Edited by Mike Wallace. Thomas Nelson, 2008. ISBN: 9780849903700.