Water Resource Management in a Vulnerable World—The Hydro-Hazardscapes and the Geographics of Water

Attempts by governments and NGOs to provide modern solutions to the management of local water resources, and to alleviate the hazards of flooding, often create unforeseen problems adversely affecting future water resources and leading to increased vulnerability to crises. Daanish Mustafa's outlines the need to develop an integrative approach. Introducing the concept of hydro-hazardscape he shows how diverse the social groups affected by a hazard may view it differently, resulting in a differing perception of the threat. Only by adopting an approach that is attentive to the multiple values of water in the communities affected, can one hope for any measure of success. Examples from South Asia, Central America, the Caucasus and the USA, illustrate how the approach will help achieve long-term sustainability in a future filled with climate change.

Daanish Mustafa is Reader in Human Geography at King's College, London. He was previously Visiting Assistant Professor of Geography at George Mason University and Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of South Florida, St Petersburg. He has worked in Pakistan for the non-profit sector on donor-funded social development and environmental preservation projects. His research interests include critical water resources geography, environmental management, and approaches to terrorism.