Book excerpt: Taking a uniquely interdisciplinary view of the Eastern Mediterranean region's water problems, this book considers some of the technical and regulatory solutions being proposed or implemented to solve the difficulties of diminished or polluted water supplies. Stressing the importance of traditional and historical cultural understanding in addressing the water crisis, the authors demonstrate that what is required is an integrated legal, social and scientific management system appropriate to each country's stage of development and their cultural heritage. Using case studies from Lebanon, Italy, Spain, Egypt, Greece, Jordan and Cyprus, the authors focus on the urgency of the present crisis faced by each country and the need for cooperation. The suggested solutions also serve as a paradigm for the rest of the world as it faces similar issues of water shortage.