"An oft-quoted, modern adage is that the next major global conflict will be over water. In many areas of the world the present is already marked by an uneasy competition among different water users and use sectors, often leading to conflicts. India particularly stands on the brink of an uncertain future, its ever-growing population putting pressure on its increasingly meagre water resources. Governance of Water: Institutional Alternatives and Political Economy is a timely, relevant book that makes a case for reforming water governance in India through not only re-orientating policy priorities and approaches, but also restructuring the institutional framework away from the state and village dichotomy. The book has eminent scholars explore the issue from various angles - neo-classical and institutional economics, deliberative democracy, public administration, collective action and political economy perspectives."--Jacket.