There is a water crisis, which is aggravated by a flawed governance of water resources. There is a need to empower local government units and communities to address the water crisis. This book presents a holistic analysis of the water situation that focuses on supply and demand conditions as well as on the social, economic, legal and institutional context of the problem. It argues for watersheds as the appropriate planning unit for an integrated water resources management system. It recommends pluralism in the modes in water governance in the country that will enable local stakeholders (LGUs, civil society) to evolve appropriate mechanisms in accordance with local, social, political, economic and ecological realities. In sum, the book seeks innovative ways of trying to win the "water war" or of dealing with water scarcity and its related concerns.
The National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) awarded this volume the Outstanding Book Award in 2007.