David B. Brooks

POLIS Research Associate, Water Conservation & The Water Soft Path

Dr. David B. Brooks is retired after 14 years with the International Development Research Centre. IDRC is a Canadian Crown corporation that supports research on international development proposed and carried out by people in developing countries. He was educated in geology and economics, and now advises several Canadian non-governmental organizations on Canadian and international issues related to fresh water. David has led water soft path research at the POLIS Water Sustainability Project and also works with the International Institute for Sustainable Development. His past positions have included: Founding Director of Canada’s Office of Energy Conservation, Principal with the firm of Marbek Resource Consultants Ltd., and Senior Advisor–Fresh Water at Friends of the Earth Canada.

His main research interests are water soft paths and water demand management in the Middle East, with particular emphasis on Israel and Palestine. Among his books are Zero Energy Growth for Canada (McClelland & Stewart, 1981), Watershed: The Role of Fresh Water in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (IDRC Books, 1994, co-author), Water: Local-Level Management (IDRC Books, 2002), and Making the Most of the Water We Have: The Soft Path Approach to Water Management (Earthscan, 2009) which he co-edited with Oliver M. Brandes and Stephen Gurman.