Water, a fundamental prerequisite for life, has increasingly become a strategic resource in recent decades. Consequently, research into ancient water management technologies is gaining renewed relevance. This article inaugurates a series of studies focused on water collection systems in cisterns/tanks across the eastern Mediterranean. It offers an overview of current research trends, evaluates the state of the source material, and highlights the strengths and limitations of existing scholarship. Furthermore, it identifies key gaps and opportunities for future investigation. Particular attention is given to the inconsistent terminology prevalent in archaeological literature. Finally, the study explores the potential for adapting ancient cistern technologies to contemporary needs in arid and marginal regions.
We examine the historical political ecology of the 1946–47 red tide on the West Florida Shelf, USA, as a turning point in the scientific understanding of the harmful algae blooms (HAB) associated with Karenia brevis, as well as in their frequency and severity. When the HAB appeared in late 1946, there was no consensus about what it should be called, let alone its cause. The slow and inadequate federal and state response, limited by the nascent state of public support for scientific research, frustrated local residents and officials. By the time the HAB finally ended in the fall of 1947, scientists—with crucial support from a small cadre of citizen scientists led by Jay N. “Ding” Darling—had identified, named, and described the phytoplankton, located the mechanism responsible for the morbidity of marine animals in a toxin emitted by the organism, and tentatively identified the proximate factors leading to its seemingly anomalous proliferation. Historical data validate many of their hypotheses regarding the latter, including both natural weather anomalies (heavy rains, high temperatures) and anthropogenic inputs associated with Florida’s postwar economy and ecology (expansions of phosphate mining and sugar farming, increases in sewage effluent accompanying population growth).
Over the past 170 years, water management in Switzerland has undergone a profound transformation. What began as a localized, event-driven practice shaped by immediate needs and local initiative—such as efforts to ensure flood protection—gradually evolved into a complex, multi-level system shaped by cantonal and federal regulations. These regulatory developments reflect shifting policy priorities across a broad range of water-related interests, including flood protection, agriculture, nature conservation, energy production, fisheries, and safe drinking water, that risk conflict in their implementation if not consciously coordinated. This article investigates the historical development of water policy and management in the Swiss case study of Alptal valley (local level) in the Canton of Schwyz (regional level) from 1848 to 2021. Drawing on archival and legislative documents, we examined the drivers of change and how interests in protection from water, water use, and protection of water have been differently prioritized over time. The findings show an increase in policy integration at the cantonal level, aligning diverse water-related interests under a more coordinated and holistic approach. We also identify a growing tension: as regional (cantonal) integration deepens, local self-governance structures such as the Wuhrkorporation Alp risk disintegration. These findings underscore the historical and ongoing challenge of balancing top-down integration with bottom-up historical practices with valuable local knowledge. Understanding this dynamic is crucial not only for appreciating how Swiss water management has evolved, but also for informing future responses to pressing multi-interest driven challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, as well as food and water security.
This paper focuses on how the interaction among cyclonic disturbances, water infrastructure, and population health crises is intricate in the case of colonial Bengal between 1864 and 1942. Based on archival documents such as administrative reports, medical statistics, district gazetteers, and contemporary accounts, this paper illustrates that cyclonic storms led to cascading health crises due to the destruction of water supply infrastructure, the salinisation of fresh water sources, and the spread of waterborne diseases. This analysis indicates that there were systematic trends of colonial administrative inadequacy in its response to these complex environmental and health emergencies, characterised by inadequate investment in rural infrastructure, delayed medical interventions, and reactions favouring urban centres and the dominant classes. This study sheds light on how natural disasters were transformed into human disasters through colonial systems of governance, examining cyclonic events such as the disastrous storms of 1864, 1867, 1869, 1874, 1876, 1897, 1919, and 1942. The paper adds to the literature on environmental history, colonial medicine, and disaster studies. It provides information applicable to modern problems of climate change and disaster preparedness in South Asia, with respect to population health.
While fortification walls primarily aimed to protect against invaders and demarcate city boundaries, their construction posed significant challenges for Greek architects and engineers. These walls obstructed water management routes that relied on topography and gravity for flow, such as long-distance Greek aqueducts. These long-distance water sources sustained larger settlements when nearby sources, such as wells and cisterns, were insufficient to meet water demand. While this prevented fresh water from coming in, it also prevented the expulsion of waste and rainwater that collected along the walls, especially in cities built on slopes. To address these issues, Greek architects and engineers devised a system of underground passages, isolated sewers, and breaches in city walls, which created both defensive and structural vulnerabilities. This article highlights the architectural features of northern Greece during the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods, showcasing distinctive hydraulic elements found exclusively in the region’s fortifications.
