Water: Science and society

Water is an extraordinary natural phenomenon. Its attributes, its role in the functioning of the Earth, and its importance in society excite interest in all branches of knowledge. Because no life can sustain without it, water constitutes a source of economic and political power. The future of modern technological society in a world of burgeoning population may depend as much on judicious water management as on availability of cheap energy. The connections between scientific knowledge and the human context of water are examined to understand how the complex task of living with water may be judiciously approached.