Water for the PeopleEnrique R. LamadridLabel: University of New Mexico PressDescription: Water for the People features twenty-five essays by world-renowned acequia scholars and community members that highlight acequia culture use and history in New Mexico northern Mexico Chile Peru Argentina Spain the Middle East Nepal and the Philippines situating New Mexico's acequia heritage and its inherent sustainable design within a global framework. The lush landscapes of the upper Río Grande watershed created by acequias dating from as far back as the late sixteenth century continue to irrigate their communities today despite threats of prolonged drought urbanization private water markets extreme water scarcity and climate change. Water for the People celebrates acequia practices and traditions worldwide and shows how these ancient irrigation systems continue to provide arid regions with a model for water governance sustainable food systems and community traditions that reaffirm a deep cultural and spiritual relationship with the land year after year.
