The Last Drop: Solving the World's Water Crisis

The Last Drop is a gripping, thought-provoking, and ultimately optimistic investigation into the world's next great climate crisis, the scarcity of water. It is clear that human mismanagement of water is dangerously unsustainable, but some countries have been successfully addressing water stress. Tim Smedley meets experts, victims, activists, and pioneers to find out how we can mend the water table before it's too late.

Format: Hardback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2023
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

The Times Book of the Year pick, hailed as "smart, sobering, and scholarly" by Steve Brusatte, the bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs. This gripping, thought-provoking, and ultimately optimistic investigation delves into the looming global climate crisis: the scarcity of water. Water stress, encompassing not just scarcity but also water-quality issues stemming from pollution, is already propelling the first waves of climate refugees. Rivers are drying out before reaching the oceans, and ancient lakes are vanishing. It is becoming increasingly evident that human mismanagement of water poses a grave threat to ecological and human survival.

However, in recent years, a select group of countries has quietly and successfully tackled water stress. How is Singapore and Israel, both severely water-stressed nations, not facing the same dire circumstances as Chennai or California? In his book, The Last Drop, award-winning environmental journalist Tim Smedley embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets behind these countries' resilience. He engages with experts, victims, activists, and pioneers to explore how we can mend the water table, upon which our very survival depends.

Through his fascinating and universally relevant account, Smedley sheds light on the environmental and human factors that have brought us to this critical juncture. He offers practical solutions and strategies to address the water crisis before it escalates further. This timely and essential book serves as a call to action, urging individuals, communities, and governments to take immediate action to secure our water future.

Weight: 638g
Dimension: 161 x 241 x 38 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529058147