We live in a world where the concept of ‘water crisis’ is not only reiterated by politicians, bureaucrats and environmentalists, but is also increasingly ‘visible’ as media news – images of global climate change ranging from drought in Western Australia or flash floods in Western Europe compete with calls for water conservation at the household level, resolving of local and transboundary conflicts over access to water, and the debate over privatisation and water pricing. However, the notion of a world doomed to face a seriously worsening water crisis is not new – for the vast majority of the world's rural and urban poor, particularly women and girls, increasing water scarcity, poverty and limited resource rights underlie daily livelihood strategies, and access to endowments such as educational opportunities and overall well-being.

The case studies in this book illustrate that the water crisis is essentially one of governance – how are our water resources managed at different institutional levels and by whom? A focus on gender, poverty and social exclusion are significant points of departure from the traditional top-down approach for decentralised community water management initiatives. Although largely addressing community and household dynamics regarding who participates in decision-making and who benefits from improved water supplies, the case studies cannot be isolated from the water policy framework (state, national and global) guiding the discourse on water management.