Climate change, urbanisation and population growth are increasing concern about how to provide water for everyone.
Can these challenges fuel co-operation rather than competition? What are the main obstacles to delivering and managing water supplies? Are governments doing enough – or too much – to protect resources? Should water supply be privatised? Is water a commodity or a human right?
John Vidal chairs this month's podcast with contributions from Catarina de Albuquerque, the UN special rapporteur on water; Timeyin Uwejamomere, senior policy analyst for urban water and sanitation at WaterAid; Dr Peter Gleick, a leading water expert and president of the Pacific Institute research centre in Oakland, California; and Thierry Mallet, senior executive vice-president of Suez Environnement. Plus, Lucy Lamble reports from Malawi on rural and urban water provision.