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This book explores the Islamic perspective on a number of proposed water management policies, such as lifeline water tariffs, water conservation, wastewater reuse, community-based water management, fair pricing, and water markets. These measures are generally accepted, with certain provisos, to lead to more equitable, efficient, and sustainable water management. By studying these issues in the context of Islam, workshop participants were able to derive Islamic water management principles that were in harmony with currently accepted principles of sustainable water management.

The book is primarily based on the findings of the Workshop on Water Resources Management in the Islamic World, held in Amman, Jordan, in December 1998. The workshop was organized by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), with support from the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), and the Inter-Islamic Network on Water Resources Demand and Management (INWRDAM). However, the discussion and conclusions presented reflect the consensus and interpretations of the participants in the workshop. They do not reflect official policies of IDRC, IWRA, or INWRDAM.

The mission of the IDRC, a Canadian Crown Corporation, is "empowerment through knowledge," and its mandate is to initiate, support, and conduct research to help communities in the developing world find solutions to their social, economic, and environmental problems. One IDRC program, entitled "People, Land, and Water," focuses on research that helps people in the MENA region to better manage their land and water resources. A specific objective of this program is to contribute to local and national policies and institutional arrangements that equitably increase the quality and accessibility of water resources. Furthermore, IDRC follows a people-centred approach that requires staff and research partners to examine each research problem from the perspective of the beneficiaries' socio-economic circumstances.

Because most of the countries within the MENA are predominately Muslim, and because it has been suggested that Islam is against some currently promoted water management policies, IDRC organized the workshop with the following goal:

To develop a better understanding of Islamic perspectives relating to selected water management practices and outline research necessary to develop water management policies that will improve the lives of the poor.

This book is expected to be useful to researchers, policy-makers, donor organizations, and non-governmental organizations working in countries with largely Muslim populations. Although the workshop participants were able to agree upon water management principles that could be considered Islamic, these principles are not unique. As one delves into Islam, one encounters values common to the other two Abrahamic monotheistic religions, Christianity and Judaism, whose holy books Muslims recognize. Thus, a water conservation project incorporating local values in, for example, Egypt, which has a large Christian minority, could include verses from the Bible, as well as those from the Quran and hadiths, which would complement each other. Because these values are universal, they are not common only to these closely related faiths, but are also inherent in many other belief systems.

Beyond the specific value of this book for water management in the Middle East and North Africa, it serves as a concrete example of the benefit of examining development in the context of values and culture. This approach is consistent with the International Development Research Centre's philosophy of examining development research problems from the perspective of its southern partners and engaging them in the research process. However, examining values is not easy. Most scientists and even development professionals avoid examining religion or values in the context of their work to avoid discord and to keep discussion "objective." However, where science, development, and values intersect, the issue cannot be avoided. For example, in the past, it may not have been scientifically possible to treat wastewater to the extent that it could be safely reused but, under certain conditions, this can now be done. What does a religion such as Islam, which, like other belief systems, puts such a premium on purity, have to say about this?

Examining values can be particularly sensitive in the Middle East, where the prevailing religion is Islam, but which also has many adherents of other faiths, such as Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Judaism. However, in a spirit of tolerance and mutual respect, workshop participants reached consensus that followers of different belief systems have much to learn from each other.

Although the concrete outputs of this work are relevant to water management in the Middle East and North Africa, more broadly the exercise demonstrates the value of developing a deeper understanding of cultures and belief systems other than one's own. It may be challenging, and even sensitive, but it is worth it. Take for instance, the participation of the Roman Catholic Church in recent discussions on human rights in Latin America. For many Catholics in the region, the Church legitimized the debate, by adding to its moral dimension, and by emphasizing the role of the family and human responsibilities as well as human rights. We hope that this exploration of Islam and water will lead to the examination of other belief systems in different development contexts.

Naser I. Faruqui
Asit K. Biswas
Murad J. Bino

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