Urban Water Management in Ancient Greece: Legacies and Lessons
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 134, Issue 1
Abstract
The evolution of urban water management in ancient Greece, beginning in Crete during the early Minoan period, resulted in a variety of remarkable developments on both the mainland and islands of Greece. Important developments include the implementation of hygienic living standards, advanced hydraulic technologies for water transportation, constructions for flood and sediment control, and sustainable urban water management practices, which can be compared to modern-day practices. The evolution of water management was also related to sociopolitical conditions. During oligarchic periods the emphasis was on the construction of large-scale hydraulic projects, whereas in democratic periods the focus of water management was on sustainable small-scale, safe, and cost-efficient management practices and institutional arrangements related to both the private and public sectors. Such practices and institutions are relevant even today, as the water-related problems of modern societies are not very different from those in antiquity.
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Acknowledgements
The encouraging comments and suggestions by two anonymous reviewers and the editor resulted in significant improvement of this article.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 134 • Issue 1 • January 2008
Pages: 45 - 54
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Jan 9, 2006
Accepted: Jan 2, 2007
Published online: Jan 1, 2008
Published in print: Jan 2008
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