ISSUE 38: SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2005

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An important history lesson for today's water managers

How can historical water use and conservation practices help modern-day engineers and policy makers confront today's pressing water management issues?  

That's the question under discussion in the new book, A History of Water Issues: Lessons to Learn, a joint project of UNU Environment and Sustainable Development Programme, the International Water History Association, the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, and Sayama-Ike Museum/Osaka Prefectural Government.

This compilation of research on the history of water management systems and technologies, written by eminent hydrologists, historians, engineers, agriculturalists, and physical scientists from around the world, aims to draw attention to historical water management practices and their relevance to modern day engineering and management.

Individual chapters use historical case studies to draw lessons from the sustainable practices and conservation methods followed by hydrological engineers, from classical examples to more recent times. The introduction outlines the scale and scope of the issues involved, and places each chapter within the general context of a history of water issues.

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