"Water is life" in Bangladesh. Based on five researchers' long-term involvement with water development projects in eight districts, this book introduces the reader to the vast range of meanings that water has in Bangladesh, where ordinary villagers struggle daily for access to safe supplies. Mythol-ogy, ancient sciences, folklore, and language provide a cultural founda-tion for water's uses in the home. large numbers of people fact the daaunting challenge of arsenic in their water supply. Reactions to this serious problem are explored through case studies and literature review. Photographs, analysis, and many case studies will sensitize scientifically-oriented development workers to the ways that cultural frameworks influence people's responses to new ideas and technologies.