Finalist, Donner Prize Finalist, Evelyn Richardson Non-Fiction Award “This book will ruffle some feathers as well as open some minds, but for anyone who cares about the earth's most precious resource, it is worth the read.” — Publishers Weekly Droughts. Floods. Contamination. Climate change. The perils to the global fresh-water supply have never been so clear or so numerous, as the crisis in Cape Town's water supply in early 2018 can attest. In dozens of countries, not just ordinary citizens but whole cities have cause to worry about their water, and who will ensure that it is available, affordable, and safe. In this refreshing examination of the fate and future of water, now available for the first time in trade paperback edition, Marq de Villiers takes on some of the biggest questions of the water world. Who owns water? Is access to water a human right? Who is responsible for keeping water clean and ensuring that it gets to the people who need it most? Is privatization of ownership really so bad? De Villiers's inspiring book offers a clear-eyed assessment of the politics of water and proposes innovative, real-life solutions. Writes Elizabeth May, “ Back to the Well is a forceful prescription for a sustainable water future.”