The lack of fresh water is now recognised as one of the world's main sources of conflict. Some 26 countries are already classified as water scarce, and this - as Israel, Southern California and even the Netherlands know - is not a problem confined to the South. This original overview addresses two major themes : water availability as a constraint on development, and water scarcity as a source of international conflict. It presents original case studies from three continents and argues for the development of wholly new perceptions, ethical assumptions and strategies relating to water management for the future.