Synopses & Reviews
This engaging examination of the fate of Nepal's premier natural resource has a significance that transcends both the specific experience of Nepal and the water sector. In this book Dipak Gyawali argues for the necessity of moving away from a technocratic approach, to take full account of the social and political context of any development intervention, focusing on the costs and benefits borne by ordinary people. He shows that both analytical comprehension and effective policy action require a holistic conceptualization of the interface between water (or any natural resource), technology, and social context.
Synopsis
This is a superb demonstration of the complexity of development processes, and the gross inadequacy of taking a technocratic view (whether engineering or economic) which ignores social context, political institutions, and the interests of external actors.
About the Author
Dipak Gyawali is Director of the Nepal Water Conservation Foundation and is also Pragya of the Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology.