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Water and Civilization

Social Awareness & Responsibility

Course Description

Exploration of the role of water in the development of human civilization, focusing on three key periods: prehistory, the rise of scientific advancements, and the future of water management. Students will critically examine historical narratives and language, challenge Eurocentric views, and investigate the contributions of non-western cultures to water systems.


Athena Title

Water and Civilization


Semester Course Offered

Offered fall and spring


Grading System

A - F (Traditional)


Student Learning Outcomes

  • Students will explore how groundwater has influenced the development of civilizations, with a focus on its role in shaping societies throughout history and across different cultures.
  • Students will develop practical solutions to current groundwater challenges, with an emphasis on sustainable management and long-term environmental responsibility.
  • Students will investigate how various cultures, including indigenous communities, understand and manage groundwater, recognizing the diversity of practices and beliefs involved.
  • Students will examine how technological advances have changed groundwater exploration and management and assess their societal and environmental effects.
  • Students will compare groundwater management strategies across different regions, considering their social, economic, and environmental implications on a global scale.

Topical Outline

  • Topic 1: Introduction to Water and Civilization -Basics and principles of the water cycle and the science of water -The central role of water in the development and progression of human societies -The interdisciplinary nature of water (history, science, and culture)
  • Topic 2: Age One - Prehistoric Water Management -Early human interactions with water -Case studies from Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Indus Valley -Cultural and spiritual significance of water in early civilizations
  • Topic 3: Agricultural Revolution and Water Control -Water Infrastructure, irrigation, and economic growth
  • Topic 4: Age Two: Rise of Scientific Progress -Greek and Roman advancements in water management and systems -Impacts of advancements in modern society
  • Topic 5: Middle Ages and Non-European Cultures -Water and language in Islamic, Chinese, and Mesoamerican civilizations -The transfer of water knowledge across cultures and time
  • Topic 6: Age Three: Industrial Revolution and Modern Era -Technological advances in water systems -The environmental consequences of industrial rise and urbanization
  • Topic 7: Modern Water Crisis and Global Systems -The current state of global water resources: scarcity, pollution, and inequality -The impacts of climate change on the water cycle -Political, economic, and social factors influencing water resources
  • Topic 8: Cultural Perspectives on Water -Importance of culture and community values in water governance -Citizen science and awareness -Indigenous water management practices and approaches
  • Topic 9: The Future of Water -Global perspectives on the future of water -Water security and the role of policy

Institutional Competencies

Social Awareness & Responsibility

The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.