In this chapter and the next, we will be switching gears to transition to less-technical but more social and governance related issues where satellite remote sensing of water can play a positive role. So far, we have learned up to chapter 10 are technical aspects of satellite remote sensing of water and their applications in water management. In this chapter, we will explore the potential of satellite remote sensing for social justice in water management.

During the century-and-a-half slumber of social contract theory the idea of universal adult suffrage became commonplace. It had long been assumed that formal political equality would more than suffice to defend the less advantaged against class legislation (although the worry shared by Ireton and Mill, that majority rule would enable class legislation favoring the less advantaged, has never disappeared). Rawls argued that a well-ordered constitutional democracy must guarantee the fair value of the equal political liberties (and those liberties alone: The others come within the difference principle in its special form). Rawls complained that this position seemed “never to have been taken seriously.” Rawls suggested a number of devices to secure fair value: promotion devices, such as subsidies of political parties and public debate; insulation devices, such as limits upon campaign contributions and expenditures; and anti-accumulation devices, such as inheritance taxes and public ownership of the means of production. Why, though, would parties in the original position insist on the fair-value guarantee? One argument extends the argument for the priority of the whole family of basic liberties, with special emphasis on stability “for the right reasons” and the shared sense of justice essential to it.

Long-standing racialised stereotypes of Bengalis in the eastern wing of the country fed into the narrative surrounding the community in West Pakistan. The stereotypes drew inspiration from Orientalist narratives, which were reinforced by the growing political tensions in the post-colonial state. Successive West Pakistani governments were accustomed to branding everything as seditious, treacherous or disloyal. Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, the future founder of Bangladesh, was the lightning rod of the labels ‘anti-Pakistan’, ‘anti-state’ and ‘disloyal’ because of his view that East Pakistan had been treated as ‘a colony’ by the ruling class and because of his demand for parity between the two wings. The Daily Situation Report (DSR) for Mujib's file, named ‘P.F. 606-48’, reveals that from 1950 to 1971, he was regularly monitored and detained on various charges ranging from sedition to treason. In July 1971, Major Nazir Baig, the commander in Faridpur district during the Pakistani army crackdown in East Pakistan, told an American journalist:

Major Baig's racial slur echoes essentialist colonial stereotypes of the Bengali population based on their ethnicity and geographical location. This chapter investigates this figure of the Bengali in Pakistan before and during the wartime while posing some critical questions. Did the West Pakistani authorities’ long-standing racialised narratives about Bengalis give Major Baig the mandate to label them as disloyal co-religionists?

In the prevalent modes of reckoning of the Indian middle classes, education has long remained a crucial factor in achieving social mobility and improving social status. During the period of colonial modernity, the appeal of ‘modern’ education had been one of the major factors that pushed many to migrate to the upcoming urban centres in hopes of securing education and accessing the new occupational opportunities presented by an expanding colonial regime. In many cases, such efforts had also helped individuals to shed the dictates of tradition and escape the deep-seated hierarchies of the Indian village. The liberating potential of modern education has since been evident in the ways it has helped individuals and communities to overcome the compulsions of class, caste, language and religion to join the modern workforce and secure employment premised on the tenets of equality and dignity. While the relationship between education and urbanity has remained deeply and historically intertwined, perceptions around what qualifies as ‘desirable’ education have evolved over the years in keeping with the shifts in the broader sociopolitical trends in the country.

Particularly, in the last three decades or so, neoliberal social and economic policy has made deep inroads into Indian society, once again leaving its mark on its burgeoning urban fabric. Apart from introducing ‘global urban imaginaries’ (Anjaria and McFarlane 2011) around consumption and lifestyle choices, it has also produced new bases of inequality based on digital literacy and global access that have further fragmented an already divided urban landscape. The deep inequalities thus created between the dominant and the marginal social groups are evident in the layered access they have to the city and its amenities. Education, apart from housing and healthcare, figures prominently in this discourse.

On 23 May 1944, Lord Keynes asked at the House of Lords, ‘Was it not I, when many of today's iconoclasts were still worshippers of the cult, who wrote that “Gold is a barbarous relic”?’ He was referring to his first book, Indian Currency and Finance, published before he joined the Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance, headed by Austen Chamberlain, where he wrote: ‘A preference for a tangible gold currency is no longer more than a relic of a time when Governments were less trustworthy….’ (Keynes 1913: 73).

Keynes's observation reminds us of an era when national currencies required the backing of gold to gain trust and legitimacy. Even after currencies ceased to be convertible to gold, the latter has remained a store of value to which one turned in times of financial distress. The centrality of gold to Indian social, cultural and religious life goes back centuries, as the quote from the ancient Rig Veda (1500–1200 BCE) shows. Similarly, Kautilya's description in Arthashastra (c. 321–296 BCE) of the types of theft and fraud to guard against while dealing with gold underlines its connection with crime as well as its importance to Indian economy and trade (Kangle 1969: Parts 2.12–2.14, pp. 105–121). Over a century after Keynes called it a barbarous relic, gold remains of great cultural significance – as this volume shows. The links of gold with crime, especially in money laundering, have also endured.

This concise and interpretative book digs under the surface events of the Wars of the Roses to explore the underlying dynamics of a typical civil war. Beginning with a demonstration of why the well-worn storylines of the Wars are so misleading, it moves on to expose the pressure for reform that animated the conflict and helped to shape its outcomes. It continues by looking at the logics of division and the reasons why the Wars, once started, were so hard to resolve. It concludes by returning to debates long discussed by historians: the role of the economy in the conflict, and the interaction between English affairs and the politics of the British Isles and the near continent. Throughout, a central concern is to emphasise the fluidity and uncertainty of these civil wars: once authority broke down, anything could happen.

Stand-up comedy is one of the simplest theatre forms in existence. The comedian stands on a (usually) bare stage, talking straight to the audience in the hope of getting laughs. Yet it has never been more popular, with national scenes developing across every continent except Antarctica. In this insightful and accessibly written volume, diverse chapters explore the subject from many angles, ranging from national scenes, live venues, and recordings to politics, race, sexuality, and the question of offensiveness. Chapters also consider the performance dynamics of stand-up in detail, examining audience, persona, and trauma. Interspersed throughout the chapters are a series of originally commissioned interviews with comedians from nine different countries, including Maria Bamford, Jo Brand, Aditi Mittal, and Rod Quantock, providing rare insights into their craft.

This chapter examines the critical role of renewable energy and energy efficiency in circular economy liveable cities. As cities account for the majority of global energy use, transitioning to renewable energy and improving energy efficiency are essential for achieving climate goals and sustainable urban development. The chapter emphasises how circular economy principles can enhance energy systems by promoting the use of renewable energy, reducing resource consumption, and minimising waste. Areas of focus include the integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and waste-to-energy systems, into urban infrastructure. The chapter discusses innovative technologies like smart grids, energy storage solutions, and shared mobility systems that can optimise energy use and reduce environmental impacts. It explores energy-efficient practices in the built environment, such as green building design, retrofitting, and modular construction, which help minimise cities’ energy footprint. The chapter highlights case studies from European cities that have successfully implemented circular energy systems, demonstrating the effectiveness of combining renewable energy with circular economy practices. It concludes by addressing the challenges and opportunities for cities to foster sustainable energy transitions, emphasising the importance of policy support, public–private partnerships, and community engagement in achieving long-term energy efficiency and renewable energy goals.

In the previous chapter we covered how satellite remote sensing can be used to detect water on the surface in terms of its spatial extent, elevation and change in storage. In this chapter, we will cover how discharge can be estimated using satellite-based observables, such as those from the newly launched Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission mentioned in Chapter 6.