Making Water Everybody's Business : Practice and Policy of Water Harvesting

Name of Reviewer: Mr. Rafiq Ibrahim Khan (Vth Year B.A.-LL.B.)
Name of the College” M.C.E. Society’s A.K.K. New Law Academy, Pune

Center for Science and Environment had tried to build in an advocacy programme with release of this book as it felt that community-based water harvesting paradigm still had great relevance in this modern age.
It allowed everybody to get involved with water collection, storage and management, taking an enormous pressure of state agencies.

My initial impression
 A transformative book addressing sustainable water management.
 Advocates to take initiative to every lay man for water harvesting
 Advocates for community-centric approaches.
 Balances traditional wisdom with modern technology.
 Highlights actionable solutions for equitable and sustainable futures

Overview

The book Making Water Everybody’s Business by Anil Agarwal and Sunita Narain revolves around the critical theme of water management as a collective and participatory endeavor. It presents the idea that sustainable water management is not just the responsibility of governments or institutions but a shared duty involving communities, individuals, and policymakers alike. Below are some key themes and messages from the book.

Community-Centric Water Management
• Decentralized and grassroots solutions.
• Empowers local communities to manage water resources.
• Revives traditional practices for contemporary relevance.

Traditional Knowledge Meets Modern Technology
• Integration of historical practices with modern innovations.
• Case studies of successful water conservation projects.

Water and Social Dynamics
• Water as a resource tied to social, economic, and ecological systems.
• Emphasis on how scarcity impacts marginalized groups, particularly women in rural areas.

Practical Guidance

Rainwater Harvesting: Revival of traditional methods.
Watershed Management: Focus on community-driven efforts.
Sustainable Agriculture: Water-efficient farming techniques.
A manual for NGOs, policymakers, and community leaders.

Critical Reception
Focus on Rural Issues:
Book primarily focuses on rural water management, with less emphasis on urban water challenges, such as infrastructure for growing cities and industrial water use.
Limited Discussion of Policy Implementation:
While the book provides excellent theoretical and community-driven solutions, it could have delved deeper into how these ideas can be scaled up or integrated into national policies.

Messages
Conservation is Key: The book stresses the importance of conserving water resources, emphasizing rainwater harvesting, reducing wastage, and adopting water-efficient practices in agriculture and industry.
Water Equity: It advocates for policies and practices that prioritize equitable access to clean water, especially for marginalized and vulnerable populations.
Awareness and Education: The book underscores the need to educate people about water issues, enabling them to take active roles in finding and implementing solutions.
Urgency of Action:The authors convey that water scarcity is not a distant threat but a current crisis, urging immediate and collective action to prevent future disasters.

Personal Reflection
Reading Making Water Everybody’s Business deeply resonated with me on both a personal and practical level. Growing up in Marathawada areas of Maharashtra “a drought-prone area”, I witnessed firsthand challenges of water scarcity and the impact it had on our community. The book’s focus on water as a shared responsibility reminded me of how neighbors came together to conserve and manage water resources during those tough times.

Recommendations
I recommend everyone to read this book because it will not only show the traditional method to restore water in rural areas but also give guild line to the various residential society, small bungalow owner, Various industries to restore the rain water and increase ground water level.

Conclusion
A blueprint for sustainable water management.
Emphasizes participatory approaches to address water scarcity.
Relevant and essential for policymakers, environmentalists, and citizens
A call to action for equitable water futures.

Call to Action
Think Globally, Act Locally: Start with your community.
Learn from the Past: Harness traditional knowledge.
Innovate Sustainably: Embrace modern, eco-friendly technologies.
Together, we can make water everybody’s business.