Terje Tvedt

Terje Tvedt (born 24 August 1951) is a Norwegian academic, author and film maker. He is presently a professor at the Department of Geography, University of Bergen, and Professor in Global History, University of Oslo, Norway. He has previously been a professor of political science and development studies.

Tvedt has written and published extensively on the role of water in society and history, and developed influential perspectives on how water-society relations impact societies. See especially his books on the history of the Nile and “A History of Water” series in 9 volumes.

He is also a prolific writer on Norwegian modern history of ideas with an emphasis on dominant worldviews in the era of development aid, and has been a very central figure in Norwegian public and intellectual debates on these issues. He has also made numerous successful and award-winning TV-documentaries on different topics, among them A Journey in the History of Water, The Future of Water, and The Nile Quest. They have been shown in about 150 countries and been bought by many of the world’s leading TV-networks.

Bibliography

Selected non-Norwegian book titles:

• 1993: Conflicts in the Horn of Africa: Human and Ecological Consequences of Warfare – EPOS, Uppsala.
• 1994: A Short Cut to Decay: the Case of the Sudan – together with Sharif Harir, Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, Uppsala.
• 1998: Angels of Mercy or Development Diplomats? NGOs & Foreign Aid. London: James Currey, US: Africa World Press.
• 2000: The River Nile and Its Economic, Political, Social and Cultural Role. An Annotated Bibliography, Bergen.
• 2000: An Annotated Bibliography on the Southern Sudan 1850-2000 (II vol). Bergen.
• 2004: The River Nile in the Age of the British. Political Ecology and & the Quest for Economic Power London/New York: I.B.Tauris.
• 2006: A History of Water, Series I, (3 vols, editor), London: I.B. Tauris.
• 2010: The River Nile in the Post-Colonial Age, (ed.), London:I.B. Tauris.
• 2010: A History of Water, Series II, (3 vols, editor), London: I.B. Tauris.
• 2013: Journey in the Future of Water, London/New York: I.B. Tauris.
• 2014-2016: A History of Water, Series III, (3 vols, editor), London: I.B. Tauris.
• 2016: Water and Society. London/New York: I.B. Tauris.

Documentaries

Selected documentaries include:

• 2014: The Nile Quest, 3 episodes, (see watervideo.com)
• 2013: De gode bombene, NRK Brennpunkt
• 2010: En dråpe luksus, TV 2, Dokument 2
• 2007: A Journey in the Future of Water, 3 episodes, TV2/Panopticon, (see www.watervideo.com)
• 2007: De hvite hjelperne, TV 2, Dokument 2
• 1997: A Journey in the History of Water, 4 episodes, NRK, (see watervideo.com)