Issue 4 (Autumn 2011) is focused on the topic of Water. Access to safe drinking water is critical to well-being and human development. Still, an estimated 3 billion people lack access to clean water. Bottled water, although a convenience, creates issues on its own – large amounts of plastic waste. In this issue of oikos Case Quarterly we are showcasing six teaching cases related to the topic of water:

• Michael Gordon (University of Michigan) – So You Want to Be a Social Entrepreneur: Starting Out, Scaling Up and Staying Committed
• Debapratim Purkayastha (IBS Hyderabad) – Trevor Field and the PlayPumps of Africa and WaterHealth International: Providing Safe Drinking Water to the Bottom of the Pyramid Consumers
• Kevin McKague (Schulich School of Business) – City Water Tanzania
• Andy Hoffman (University of Michigan) – Coke in the Cross Hairs: Water, India, and the University of Michigan
• Steve Bowden, Eva Collins, KateKearins and Helen Tregigda (Waikato University and Auckland University of Technology) – Good Water: Standing on Holy Ground