Imagine taking a refreshing sip of clean water – a simple act many of us take for granted. Access to clean water is the most basic human right of all. Yet, this fundamental right remains a daily struggle for millions worldwide. Water permeates every aspect of our lives and is receiving world attention as we face escalating threats to our limited water resources due to burgeoning population pressures, life styles and climate change. Water resources planning and management cuts across all sector boundaries and disciplines. Once the domain of civil engineers, today, professionals from all walks of life engage in water- related careers spanning public water supply, agriculture, irrigation, energy, environment and sustainable development. Myriad books and reports on every aspect of water are appearing everywhere. Most are written by water specialists, usually for water specialists. Some, like the media, dwell on the more sensational aspects of increasing floods and droughts, especially as our climate changes.

In writing this book, we are taking a different approach. We want to encourage those who do not wish to become “water experts”, yet would like to go beyond the sensationalist narratives surrounding water to understand better how water affects us all, especially the steps we can take to increase water security. We anticipate our readers will include professionals and students from diverse disciplines who have or are planning careers in the water and water- related sectors. We also write for those stakeholders striving to attain other sustainable development goals (SDGs) in which water plays a part. Our ambition is to cultivate a cross- disciplinary understanding of water's intricate involvement in human activity to help readers align their actions better and create integrated solutions rather than silos and barriers.

We offer an overview of the significant challenges facing every country and describe the work of “water specialists”, which we hope will be accessible and informative to all. We wish to lift the doom and gloom that pervades the water sector by offering solutions, not just problems. There are plenty of innovative actions out there, not just in technology or management fixes, but equally important are changes in how we think about and take care of water. Everyone has a part to play, not just the water specialists.