CSP 55 The Politics of Water

This course introduces students to the politics of water from the local to the global levels. Students will learn how increasing scarcity of water is related to factors such as climate change, urbanization, population growth, and tensions between uses (e.g. agriculture, manufacturing, energy generation, etc.). Local case studies include lessons from Flint, Michigan and local Los Angeles water issues. International cases will examine the impact of large dams in India, water wars over municipal water services in Latin America, mining and other extractive industries worldwide, and the privatization and commodification of water, including the business of bottling water. Global water governance will be examined as well, including the campaigns to legalize a human right to water within the United Nations, and the place of water in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.