Book Reviews

April 20, 2021
Many from outside of Australia may be puzzled as to why anyone would write ‘a very angry book’ about water reform in, of all places, Australia? A country that senior Australian public servants, scientists, consultants and politicians have widely and frequently proclaimed to be the ‘world’s best’ on their many business trips to Paris, London, Washington, Delhi and Beijing.
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December 20, 2019
The book’s title notes three important issues: interactive governance, water governance, and Asia. Let us consider only interactive governance, a little-known term in water management. The editor defines it as “an interactive form of governance generally and also means the core framework developed mostly in Western democratic countries in some contexts.… Read More

March 3, 2014
Review by Jill Baker, Asia Business Council, Hong Kong
With 92 billion Swiss Francs in sales in 2013, Nestlé is one of the largest consumer products companies in the world, and -the authors would argue- one of its better corporate citizens. Creating Shared Value, Impacts of Nestlé in Moga, India, postulates and then studies a virtuous circle of interaction between Nestlé and small‐hold dairy farmers in the Punjab as an example in microcosm of the Nestlé corporate ethos: “for our business to prosper in the long term we must create value for our employees, customers, stakeholders, consumers and the communities where we live and work.”… Read More

January 1, 2014
Review by Aditi Raina, Institute of Water Policy, LKYSPP, Singapore
In this book, the authors successfully tell the remarkable journey of a city-state that within five decades transformed from a third-world country to being a pioneer in water supply and management.… Read More

November 1, 2013
Review by R.V. Kanoria, Chairman, Kanoria Chemicals, New Delhi
The book ‘Creating Shared Value: Impacts of Nestle at Moga, India’ based on a study by the Third World Centre for Water Management and authored by a team under Prof. Asit K Biswas, displays Nestlé’s deep commitment to create a harmonious environment beneficial to both business and the surrounding community and the society.
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July 22, 2013
Review by Mark Clifford, Executive Director, Asia Business Council
When Singapore, smaller than New York City, broke away from Malaysia in 1965, its single biggest strategic vulnerability was water. On the day of Singapore’s independence, Malaysia’s prime minister told the British high commissioner that his country could keep Singapore under its thumb by threatening to turn off the taps. This was not just a theoretical possibility, for Singapore had suffered during World War II when the pipeline bringing water from neighboring Johor had been blown up.
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June 3, 2013
Review by Sahana Singh, Asian Water
While Singapore was moving towards its goals of becoming a developed economy and one of the world’s cleanest cities, its leaders knew that water would play an important part in it. Dependence on Malaysia for over half of its water needs put Singapore in a vulnerable position amidst the acrimonious disputes between the countries which had separated in 1965.… Read More

May 8, 2013
Review by David Lloyd Owen, Envisager Limited, Ceredigion, UK
The development of Singapore-based water and sewage operations and technology companies has been driven by a policy of combining water self-sufficiency with nurturing a regional presence in the water sector. … Read More

March 20, 2013
Review by Michael Rouse, Distinguished Research Associate, University of Oxford
Many countries aspire to emulate Singapore’s achievements. Singapore can be considered unique, as a wealthy country able to afford the technology and the extensive infrastructure developments. But that is missing the main point which comes across strongly in the book, that economic success was achieved because water and environmental developments were essential parts of Singapore’s sustainable development.

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December 3, 2012
Review by Andy Hughes, Honorary Vice-President, ICOLD
The clue to the contents of this book is in the title. The book contains a collection of objective case studies on the impacts of large dams. A number of leading and respected specialists were selected to prepare case studies on the impacts of large dams –both positive and negative. These case studies were discussed at several workshops and then the analyses were modified before publication.

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