As globalization processes and related neoliberal agendas promote privatization through state action, people¿s struggles for rights to water have intensified. In this context, this book examines the role of the ambivalent state in local struggles for water, which are deeply intertwined with global forums that support and/or challenge the privatization of water resources. These local-global struggles have redefined the relationships between the state, corporations, and other social actors that impact the local politics of inequality and marginalization.

Mangala Subramaniam is Professor of Sociology and Butler Chair and Director of the Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence at Purdue University, USA. She is a leading scholar in the areas of gender and its intersections with caste and class, social movements, environmental justice, and globalization.

1. Introduction: Overview of Water Crisis and Early Approaches to Study of Water.- 2. Between Local Community Challenges and Global Concerns.- 3. Local Struggles for Water Rights.- 4. The Global Forums of Water.- 5. Conclusion: Policy Implications.