David McDonald on Public Water and Covid 19

Campus Beat

Dr. David McDonald, Professor in the Department of Global Development Studies at Queen’s University joins us in this episode. Dr. McDonald sheds light on the new collection he has co-edited entitled Public Water and Covid 19: Dark Clouds and Silver Linings. The chapters in this free e-book released November 9th 2020 provide the first global overview of the response of public water operators to the Coronavirus pandemic, highlighting the challenges these operators face and how they have responded in differing circumstances.

Dr. McDonald chats with us about the book, magnifying some of the disparities in relation to water access and water operator preparedness and response that COVID-19 has magnified, the kinds of responses and collaborations that are underway, the role played by consumers, and stones left unturned with research including public banks, the topic of the forthcoming companion volume to Public Water and Covid 19.