Water and Population -- Final Draft

A HUGE thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions, corrections, etc. on this essay on the relationship between water and population growth/sprawl.

The final draft (that I submitted to the encyclopedia) is here [pdf].

Bottom Line: Water has affected population and growth patterns throughout history, but growing environmental consciousness and unstable climate are disrupting these patterns. In the past, politicians directed allocation, engineers built projects, and real estate developers made money. Can these interest groups change their professional habits and institutions from building ahead of demand? Not unless intense outside pressure forces them to consider new ways of thinking, take up economic management tools, and step off our unsustainable path.

Addendum: I forgot to upload final drafts of the entries on the Colorado River Aqueduct [PDF] and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California [PDF]. Thanks to everyone who helped on those!