Water and Civilization: Resilience and Collapse

Published: Sept. 10, 2021, 8 a.m.

Water is essential for life, and throughout history we have sought to control and make use of it. As Giulio Boccaletti explores in his new book, Water: A Biography, that relationship with water has underpinned human civilization, forming an integral part of society, government and land use systems. But despite its essential nature, access to water has never been equal or entirely fair.\xa0\nClimate disruption will further destabilize the systems we\u2019ve built to control water in our environment \u2013 even as it remains a public good without fair and equal public access. What can 10,000 years of history teach us about how we should handle water in our current and future climate?\nGuests:\nGiulio Boccaletti, Author, Water: A Biography\nSara Aminzadeh, Vice President of Partnerships, U.S. Water Alliance\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices