Water: The Element of Life

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Ancient time
Modern age
Works Cited

Introduction

The availability of water on the Earth is said to be the reason the planet can sustain life. This simple substance is the combined need of all living things and it covers the major portion of the planet as well. Its uses include drinking to quench thirst, irrigation to support food production, as an agent to put out fire, sewage disposal, and uses of a more modern nature such as for rotating thermal turbines for power generation and recreational purposes. It was aptly termed by some Greek philosophers to be the source of all existence. Thus in the modern world, as it was in ancient, water remains an important natural resource without which humans can not survive.

Ancient time

The ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt realized the importance of water as they were able to build great cities and develop around sources of water such as the Tigris and Euphrates as well as the Nile. It served as a source of fresh drinking water and the periodic flooding across the deltas allowed plentiful harvests to be had multiple times a year which allowed a large urban population to be supported. The Mesopotamians were able to control the rivers via the construction of irrigations dikes and other types of waterworks (Mays, p. 102). This made the flatlands where food was produced due to plentiful water, a source of conflict among tribes. When water works became decrepit, tribes attacked to get hold of scarce food commodities, whereas otherwise, peace was able to be sustained in the region.

The Egyptians were fortunate in that they had a more predictable river in the form of the Nile which wrought less destruction via flooding. They were also able to manage their water resource through a technique called basin irrigation (Mays, p. 156). This involved constructing a network of ditches or basins near the river where flood water was directed and allowed to stay for an amount of time, making the soil fertile after which plantation could begin, siphoning the water off to other basins. Technological developments aimed at collecting water from the river also kept coming such as the “shaduf” which was a rudimentary wooden water-lifting device, and the “noria” which was an early water wheel (Mays, p. 178). Although the water was crucial, it was available in substantial amounts and was not a matter of contention, with decision-making and distribution rights being a matter for the farmers to deliberate while the state kept away from it (Fiero, p. 26). There also has been little evidence of a law decreeing the prescribed way of water management which confirms the control over demand of the resource at the time.

Modern age

In the modern age, however, with burgeoning populations, water demand is not only large but growing. There are also plenty more uses for the natural resource which requires water management to be moderated at the state level. The national and local governments have a very important role to play in this regard. Comprehensive strategies for water management need to be developed to handle the resource. This should be aimed at reducing demand by encouraging plantation of less water-absorbing crops and developing an efficient irrigation system so that the available water is not wasted. Campaigns for public awareness could be launched at the local government level which could also address the problem of alien plants that use water and leakages that waste the resource. New water resources could also be explored such as by drilling underground. At the national level, optimal use of the river systems should be made via the development of dams and canals so that adequate storage of the available water can be carried out. There is also a need to work with other nations at a global level to improve the laws about water use and rights so that international conflicts over the resource do not develop. The world is already seeing wars being waged for a crucial resource such as oil which is not even necessary for sustaining life. If the water becomes the object of a similar conflict, it could prove to be much more disastrous considering its importance for humans.

Works Cited

Fiero, Gloria. Landmarks in Humanities. 2. New York: McGraw-Hill College, 2008. 15-312. Print.
Mays, L. Ancient Water Technologies. New York: Springer, 2010. 40-156. Print.

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Water: The Element of Life

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