Water Management in Islam

The Middle East and North Africa have one of the fastest population growth rates in the world. However, natural water resources in the region are scarce, and water is quickly becoming a key issue in the region's further development. Many tactics have been used to try to regulate water use in the region, but none of these have considered the cultural or religious practices of those who live there. The region is home to numerous cultural, ethnic, and religious groups, but at least 300 million of these are Muslims. Without a clear understanding of Islamic perspectives on water resources, attempts at managing and regulating water use in the Middle East and North Africa will be unsuccessful. This volume includes studies of a number of proposed water management schemes. These include initiatives to reduce water demand, reuse and recycle wastewater, and increasing tariffs for water use. This book is interesting because it points out the intersection between formal policy making and informal negotiations. It will also be interesting to scholars studying water management in other regions of the world because it points out the importance of considering culture and values when establishing policies concerning development.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Water Management in Islam
edited by Naser I. Faruqui, Asit K. Biswas, and Murad J. Bino
TD 313.5 .W38 2000

It Starts with One

Black and Gregersen's book is written around a simple idea--that if you want to change an organization, you must change the individuals within that organization, often one at a time. Using the analogy of a map, they explain that organizations are guided by strategic plans, while individuals are guided by mental maps. If you change these mental maps and the behaviors that follow them, then, the individual will change, and organizational change will eventually follow. The book identifies three challenges or barriers that individuals often face when changing their mental maps: the failure to see, failure to move, and failure to finish. Each of these barriers is examined thoroughly, and strategies, solutions, and tools are offered to help people overcome these limitations. This is at the same time a book full of ideas and one containing many practical tips and tools. It should be read by everyone trying to lead or survive change.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

It Starts with One: Changing Individuals Changes Organizations
J. Stewart Black and Hal B. Gregersen
2nd ed.
HD 58.8 B547 2008

Conservation and Sustainability in Historic Cities

This book seeks to relate the concepts of conservation and sustainability in the context of urban architecture. Conservation, particularly in urban areas, has been growing since the 1960's. The idea of sustainable development took hold in the 1980's and has become one of the primary design and construction agendas since. These ideas are always discussed separately, though--conservation in relation to preserving old buildings and sustainable design in the context of building new ones with less environmental impact. This book shows the relationships between these concepts as they apply to historic cities. Using examples from cities across Europe, Rodwell demonstrates how conservation of old architectural structures is taking place along side the thoughtful design and building of new ones, resulting in cities and towns that have similar architectural features, visually pleasing consistency, and modern livability, yet retain their notable historic landmarks. This book is not only an interesting read, but it is full of photographs that illustrate points that the author makes throughout the text.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Conservation and Sustainability in Historic Cities
Dennis Rodwell
NA 105 .R65 2007