The provided excerpts offer an extensive overview of world history through the lens of water and hydraulic engineering, arguing that the ability to manage water resources is a key determinant of societal success or decline. The text covers topics ranging from the transformative impact of James Watt’s improved steam engine on the Industrial Revolution, to the importance of water management in ancient civilizations like Egypt and Mesopotamia, highlighting the development of irrigation, aqueducts, and canals. It also explores how control over strategic waterways and sea power, as seen in the rise of the Roman, Venetian, and British empires, shaped global politics and trade. Finally, the source addresses modern challenges, detailing the Sanitary Revolution, the massive scale of twentieth-century dam building, and the critical issues of water scarcity, pollution, and geopolitical conflict in the contemporary world.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.