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.

Autorentext

Hans Peter Hahn ist Professor am Institut für Ethnologie der Universität Frankfurt am Main, Karlheinz Cless, Dr. rer. oec., ist dort Doktorand. Jens Soentgen, Dr. phil., ist wissenschaftlicher Leiter am Wissenschaftszentrum Umwelt der Universität Augsburg.

Inhalt

Contents Preface7 Introduction Karlheinz Cless and Hans Peter Hahn9 Water as substance and meaning: Anthropological perspectives Hans Peter Hahn23 Virtual water and water footprints: Global supply and production chains and their impacts on freshwater resources Simon Meissner44 What is water? Some philosophical considerations Klaus Ruthenberg65 An essay on dew Jens Soentgen79 People at the well: Experiences around water Karlheinz Cless98 Water magic Richard Wilk126 Consumption and production: Changing perceptions of water in northern Ghana Wolfram Laube145 Neglecting the opportunity? Productive water uses for small income generation Irit Eguavoen170 Water makes the difference: The case of South India Bettina Weiz190 Making connections: Accessing water in Mumbai's settlements Nikhil Anand217 Water in Amazonia Klaus Hilbert232 Water 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 Weschenfelder246 Water beliefs and changing times in Nigeria Emmanuel M. Akpabio266 Guarded by the devil: The fear of pollution from wells among the Iraqw of northern Tanzania Anne-Christina Achterberg-Boness281 Figure and Table Credits299 Notes on Contributors303 Index of Persons and Subjects307 Index of Locations315