Water is a shared resource on which life, the environment and most human activities depend. Our planet has some 276 transboundary basins and as many transboundary aquifers, and 148 countries share at least one basin with others. In many areas, water withdrawals are already exceeding the recharge capacity of the environment, and water availability is decreasing. Up to 90 per cent of wastewater in developing countries flows untreated into the environment, threatening health, food security, and access to safe drinking and bathing water. The chapters in this book reflect the progress and challenges encountered in the fields of water management and cooperation around the world.
