This book captures the constraints and inevitable trade-offs associated with the intricate combination of politics, economic development, local identity and huge investment in water resources. In a series of essays, the conflicts, players, historical context and effects of water projects on communities throughout the world are described. The case studies are comprehensive, but slightly U.S.-centric. They include cases from South Texas, the Pacific Northwest, the Colorado River, Central Arizona and Tennessee, as well as major projects in Zimbabwe, Mexico, Honduras, and the Middle East.