Freshwater is our planets most precious resource essential for life itself. Despite this fact many people across our planet face difficulties finding safe clean potable water. A U.S. State Department report contends that the worlds thirst for water may become a human security crisis by 2040. The World Bank reports many developing nations face catastrophe from intensive irrigation urbanization and deteriorating infrastructure. Also numerous reports contend that in many places untreated wastewater is still released directly into the environment. This is particularly true in lowincome countries which on average treat less than 10 of their wastewater discharges.In short we face three imminent challenges regarding freshwater 1 demands by agriculture cities industry and energy production are increasing 2 severe pollution from various contaminants and growing withdrawals are limiting the capacity of waterways to dilute contaminants threatening human and aquatic life and 3 climate change will cause periods of frequent and severe droughts punctuated by acute periods of flooding.The goal of this book is to illuminate how the governance of freshwater is a political social economic cultural and ecological challenge. The management and provision of water are not merely technical problems whose resolution hinges on hydrological principle cost or engineering feasibility. They are products of decisions made by governments businesses and interest groups that exercise control over who has access to water how they use it and in what condition they receive it. It discusses basic knowledge about water supply and quality the evolution of water policy in different societies the importance of water to human and environmental health the role of law politics and markets in its allocation use and protection and the importance of ethics in its equitable provision.