'The Water Diaries': new book highlights the drivers and inequalities in the global water crisis

The Water Diaries, published today by Cambridge University Press, explores the intricacies of living with the Global Water Crisis in Bangladesh and Kenya, and highlights the intersecting drivers of global water risks and the spatial and seasonal inequalities in water supply. 

By charting the daily water use behaviour of people in Kenya and Bangladesh for a year, Dr Sonia Hoque, Senior Research Associate in Water Security and Society, and Prof Rob Hope, Professor of Water Policy and Director of Water Security Initiative, conducted four detailed case studies of both urban and rural areas. Reflecting on interviews with 350 families living without water security about their water supply and needs, The Water Diaries, details their struggle and makes a passionate case for institutional change. Dr Hoque and Prof Hope critically review existing policy and institutional design, arguing for a new architecture in allocating risks and responsibilities fairly and effectively between government, communities, enterprises and water users. 

Through these case studies we highlight the drivers of the global water crisis and the inequalities in the distribution of risks. We critically examine how existing policies and institutional frameworks can be rethought to better reallocate risks between governments, businesses and communities, for a water secure future. 

Dr Sonia Hoque    

In identifying the risks and potential responses for policy and investment action, the book provides theoretical insights and a practical guide to developing more effective policy in Kenya and Bangladesh, with solutions applicable in other regions facing similar challenges. Therefore, through the insight of first-hand experiences of families and their struggle in Kenya and Bangladesh, The Water Diaries, makes a significant contribution to the global water crisis debate and possible solutions.