Taking a fresh look at water in a time of scarcity

Abstract

Water security Taking a fresh look at water in a time of scarcity Throughout human history, man has had a very close relationship with water; it could be no other way, as water brought life, and in scarcity or excess, it took life away. Before the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians built the first primitive gravity dams around 4 000 years ago, early humans were vulnerable to the variances of water availability. The Romans brought better materials and cement to the art of dam-building some 2 000 years ago (although their primary contribution was mainly in aqueducts and sanitation systems). It was only in the 17th century that the Spanish brought significant advances in dam-building technology, with the advent of the first arch dams. This technology found its way to the New World colonies, and paved the way for water infrastructure over the next three centuries. Population growth and a rise in living standards have been made possible by the management of water resources; dams offer protection against floods, and serve as reservoirs, to offer a sustained supply.

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