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The Global Water System in the Anthropocene pp 415–426Cite as

The Notion of the Global Water Crisis and Urban Water Realities

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Abstract

The global water crisis is often alluded to in scientific papers and geo-political discourse. However, the lack of a proper definition of what the term ‘water crisis’ means has been routinely overlooked, as much as are the reasons why it is assumed to be truly global in nature. Such generalisations and simplifications in both science and policy alike may lead to governance responses that are not fully applicable. In the following chapter we examine the relation between initially framing a problem (water crisis), and introducing policies and management principles that reflect such a situation. We will start by exploring the emergence of global water crisis in the 1990s. We then contrast these findings by examining how the urban water crisis in Accra, Ghana has worsened over time, although there is enough water to go round. We conclude with a plea that crucial socio-political perspectives within hydrology be reinforced, since these are the very factors—occurring within different spatio-temporal scales—that are often overlooked in research into water-related global change.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter Den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany

    Antje Bruns & Fanny Frick

Authors
  1. Antje Bruns
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  2. Fanny Frick
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Correspondence to Antje Bruns .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Global Water System Project, Bonn, Germany

    Anik Bhaduri

  2. Global Water System Project, Bonn, Germany

    Janos Bogardi

  3. UNESCO-IHE, Delft, The Netherlands

    Jan Leentvaar

  4. Global Water System Project, Bonn, Germany

    Sina Marx

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Bruns, A., Frick, F. (2014). The Notion of the Global Water Crisis and Urban Water Realities. In: Bhaduri, A., Bogardi, J., Leentvaar, J., Marx, S. (eds) The Global Water System in the Anthropocene. Springer Water. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07548-8_27

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