languages 
English
عربى
Español
русский
streamlining the process. Yet, we're still not doing it right.
Shockingly, a third of the world's population still does not have access to safe drinking water (according to
UNICEF), and an estimated 5.5 million cubic meters of sewage (about
equivalent to 2,200 Olympic swimming pools) is discharged into the ocean every day.
This article reviews chronologically through historical books
The way transportation, supply and access to water have evolved over the centuries - and why we should and can
do better.
Early Civilizations
About 10,000 years ago, humans began to move from being roaming
hunter-gatherers to building a more permanent civilization. As settlements began to grow
and livelihoods began to be concentrated in one place, it became clear that clean, efficient water systems were needed
to sustain human survival.
The earliest known permanent settlement dates back to Jericho, Israel, in 8000 B.C., because it was
was located near a natural spring. Ancient wells have also been found in Egypt since 3000 B.C. Archaeologists are said to have discovered the earliest known water pipes and water systems from the Bronze Age in Pakistan.
the earliest known water pipes and latrines from the early period.
Many water transportation technologies were based on a series of canals in early times. For example
the Nile used to flood for several months each year, so dams and canals were built
to divert excess water to local fields so that farmers could plant their crops. In other places, the
Zaña Valley in Peru is also the site of the earliest known canal in South America. This
example of terraced irrigation dates back more than 5,000 years and is a series of small, stone-built canals that face downward, transferring water from the
small stone-built canals that diverted water from streams on the upper slopes of the Andes to crops lower down. Of course
This relies heavily on the gravity of moving water from one place to another.
Ancient cities
Around 500 B.C., many settlements began to become more urbanized; for example, the ancient
Greek and Roman civilizations, for example. Lovely and sunny - but inevitably difficult to access fresh, safe water
. Access to the ferry: the first known waterway to carry water from a very
The first known waterway to carry water from a very distant source.
The Roman aqueduct was more than 415 kilometers long (longer than the distance from London to
Netherlands) to provide fresh water for agriculture and public baths. This type of work
was groundbreaking at the time and has not been surpassed in over 1,000 years!
In Greece, slaves would bring ornately decorated "Hydria" (or vases as we commonly know them)
to public fountains to collect as much water as possible, which would then be taken back to
families until the rich escaped when the water in their homes.
Other early irrigation devices include.
- Shaduf - a large seesaw-style pole and bucket that, in ancient
Egypt, farmers would lower the bucket into a nearby river by pulling a rope and then swinging it around the
pole swinging to empty into their fields
--canals--from Persia, which were gently sloping underground passages or tunnels that
channeled water from within the mountains to the villages below (this is
one of the oldest methods of irrigation still in use today!)
--Noria - a waterwheel with an earthenware jar used to carry water and be turned by animals or
flowing streams, most commonly used by the Romans in North Africa
Urbanization and Modernity
Until the fall of the ancient empires, the
industrialization and urbanization of the Western world did not really begin. Medieval cities, castles and monasteries had their own fountains, wells and cisterns.
wells and cisterns, and many towns now have public toilets. By the 1700s, the humble
flush toilets had become a cultural necessity in Europe, and many wealthy families now
used running water in their homes.
Originally, London's water supply was delivered through a series of wooden pipes. Although for a
served a purpose for a time, the system could only operate at low pressure and
geographically limited in terms of the area it could serve. As the population proliferated, the wooden pipe
system soon became obsolete, and iron pipes were introduced in the early 1800s. Fast forward
By the 1900s, water companies were nationalized in England and clean
clean running water had become a basic human right for all.
From here, technology needed to evolve at a record pace to meet the needs of a changing world.
the needs of an ever-changing world. Today, humans seek convenience and to make life as easy as possible
--so, of course, we have designed irrigation systems that can deliver large amounts of
water exactly where we need it, without breaking a sweat.
Popular modern irrigation methods include reservoirs containing aquifers and Electric Water Pump, a system that delivers water in large quantities from a reservoir to a water source.
pumps that deliver water in large quantities from reservoirs to fields, and automatic drip, surface and
sprinkler variants.
But what are the implications of all these conveniences and increased water use on our
planet?
It's simple - feeding more people means more crops are needed, and then more water is needed
in order for them to grow. According to the Grantham Centre at the University of Sheffield, it is estimated that
UK alone uses around 14 billion liters of water every day (that's 4,480 Olympic
swimming pools!) They also suggest that the average Briton uses 143 liters of water per day
This compares to only 15 liters per person per day in urban Ethiopia.
Groundwater is the world's most exploited natural resource, and 70% of it is used for
for agricultural purposes - and the aquifers from which we draw this water are rapidly
being depleted by humans.
So, from ancient civilizations and their first inventions to today's collective approach, it's clear that
that the next technological solution needs to turn the tide and create an ecosystem where our
water and transportation habits once again in harmony with the planet's
needs in harmony with ...... any ideas?
