{"word_count": 235, "character_count": 1673}
Peter Mollinga (ed), Water for Food and Rural Development. Approaches and Initiatives in South Asia, New Delhi, Sage, 2000“This important book addresses two fundamental questions: First, what is the relation, in South Asia, between the development and use of water resources on the one hand, and food security and rural development on the other? Second, which innovative approaches and methodologies can help resolve the deadlock in water resources development and management?This volume of 17 original essays presents views and experiences on these important questions from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The authors argue strongly for an integrated approach to water resource management which would make it part of the broader agenda of rural transformation. They cite concrete examples to show how a shift away from an exclusive focus on infrastructure development and increased production is possible in practice. All water-related interventions, they recommend, should be made conditional on the inclusion of strategies for sustainable biomass production; resource-rights and asset creation through generating employment (especially for the landless, the land-poor and women); equity in resource access and distribution; and principles of democratic planning and management.”Contributors: Peter P. Mollinga, C.W.J. Roest, Tushaar Shah, Mahesh Banskota, Suresh R. Chalise, Syed Z. Sadeque, Jayanta Bandyopadhyay, Anjan Datta, M. Youssouf Ali, Upendra Gautam, Rajan Subedi, Kusum Athukorala, Zaigham Habib, Ajaya Dixit, Abid Shah, E.M. Shashidharan, Reema Nanavaty, K.R. Datye, Suhas Paranjape, K.J. Joy, Vijay Paranjpye, Lionel Siriwardena, ...&#160;