Yok-Shiu Frederick Lee is Associate Professor, Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong.

James E. Nickum is Vice-President, International Water Resources Association, Professorial Research Associate, School of African and Oriental Studies, University of London, UK, and Senior Fellow, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong. He is also editor-in-chief of the journal Water International (Taylor & Francis).He was for a decade a Professor in the Department of International Studies, Tokyo Jogakkan College, Japan.

Part 1: Introduction 1. The Water World of Global Cities 2. Water Pricing and its Delinking from Water Use 3. Basic Human Needs in an Ageing, Downsized World 4. Non-price Conservation Measures 5. Institutional Reform Part 2: Case Studies 6. Beijing and North-South Diversion 7. Hong Kong and the Dongijang Salvation 8. Singapore and the Search for Independence 9. Sydney - Where Conservation May Have Worked Too Well 10. Osaka and Lake Biwa 11. Seattle - High-priced Water 12. New York 13. London 14. Paris Part 3: Overview and Conclusions 15. Common Problems, Different Solutions 16. Emerging Issues