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The Global Water Crisis in Historical Perspective

The Global Water Crisis in Historical Perspective. Nicholas Breyfogle Department of History The Ohio State University. Image: ecology.com. What do we mean by Crisis?. Quantity Quality Chronology Location Humans, flora, fauna. Photo: David Mixner; chart OECD.

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The Global Water Crisis in Historical Perspective

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  1. The Global Water Crisis in Historical Perspective Nicholas Breyfogle Department of History The Ohio State University Image: ecology.com

  2. What do we mean by Crisis? Quantity Quality Chronology Location Humans, flora, fauna Photo: David Mixner; chart OECD

  3. What do we Learn from Water History? • Intersection of the biological and ecological with the political, cultural, religious, economic, and social • Solutions must address this complex intersection • Two moments of significant change in human-water relationship • Normal? Image: Lake Baikal. Author

  4. The Water Revolution I:10,000-12,000 years ago From Hunter-Gatherer to settled agriculture Water management techniques and engineering

  5. Human struggles to overcome water variability and to harness its power Increasingly sophisticated technologies Images: Creative Commons

  6. The flourishing and collapse of civilizations: e.g. Angkor Wat Photo: Charles J Sharp

  7. Water Revolution II19th and especially 20th centuries Industrial Revolution Water became interconnected with machines and fossil fuels (and later other energy sources) Globalization of water and water movement

  8. Water Dreamers • Change in human ways of thinking about water • Should not waste nature • Can improve nature: Faith that hydro-engineering can unleash bounty

  9. Agriculture and Groundwater/Aquifers

  10. Groundwater civilizations: • U.S. West (e.g. Ogallala Aquifer) • Saudi Arabia • Australia

  11. Remaking Rivers and Lakes EG: The Rhine Source: http://review.ucsc.edu/winter-03/river.html

  12. Dam Building Hoover Dam

  13. Urban Water and Sewage

  14. Reduction in water-borne Disease: “Death's dispensary” 1866. A cartoon on the dangers of drinking water

  15. Pollution

  16. Thoughts for the Future:What to do about Water Crises 1) Control Population

  17. Photos: Byrd Polar; Really Natural 2) Changes to agriculture 3) Water realists 4) Budget for cost 5) Focus on/Fund good science

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