People at the Well

Water is never just H2O. It is always more. It has its own ways of world-making and is much more than just a substance or a commodity. Water is also a focal point of religious meanings and inspires cultural practices. The book shows the different forms, the wide range and the impressive diversity of people´s dealings with water in different cultures. It presents case studies from various parts of the world, staging problems about changing accessibility of water and the expectations of men and women at different places. While focusing on the micro level the transdisciplinary approach highlights the fundamental differences of water related meanings and practices.

ContentsPreface7IntroductionKarlheinz Cless and Hans Peter Hahn9Water as substance and meaning: Anthropological perspectivesHans Peter Hahn23Virtual water and water footprints: Global supply and production chains and their impacts on freshwater resourcesSimon Meissner44What is water? Some philosophical considerationsKlaus Ruthenberg65An essay on dewJens Soentgen79People at the well: Experiences around waterKarlheinz Cless98Water magicRichard Wilk126Consumption and production: Changing perceptions of water in northern GhanaWolfram Laube145Neglecting the opportunity? Productive water uses for small income generationIrit Eguavoen170Water makes the difference: The case of South IndiaBettina Weiz190Making connections: Accessing water in Mumbai's settlementsNikhil Anand217Water in AmazoniaKlaus Hilbert232Water management by divine benevolence along the River Nile: Artificial water reservoirs as pastoral meeting places in the Meroitic Sudan (ca. 350 B.C. to 350 A.D.)Petra Weschenfelder246Water beliefs and changing times in NigeriaEmmanuel M. Akpabio266Guarded by the devil: The fear of pollution from wells among the Iraqw of northern TanzaniaAnne-Christina Achterberg-Boness281Figure and Table Credits299Notes on Contributors303Index of Persons and Subjects307Index of Locations315