WSP02086 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

As examples, thirty-one technological events are selected for case description and analysis of their effects upon water development and ad- ministration. The cases range through the development of irrigation and related improvements in refrigerated transport, techniques of storing and transporting water, the consequences of widespread transmission of elec- tricity, methods of combating stream pollution, uses of saline water, ground-water exploitation, industrial recycling processes, weather modi- fication experiments, and the emerging opportunities and problems of nuclear energy. Each of the examples fits into a system of classification identifying its relationship, typically, to the economic and administrative aspects of water development. [See page 18 for an article based on the weather modification chapter.] - Studies of the future water requirements of two large water-using industrial groups and of agriculture, begun in 1957, made substantial progress in the past year. Part of Paul Cootner's research into water requirements for the steam electric power industries served as a basis for discussion at the Econometric Society summer meetings. Herbert Moh- ring's basic work on estimating potential requirements for petroleum refining was being prepared for analysis. Vernon 'V. Ruttan, working under a grant to the Purdue Research Foundation, continued to study regional and national water requirements for irrigation, projecting them under alternative patterns of technological change to 1980. I I Planning, Financing, Administration, a1ld Ma1lagement - The University o[ Chicago's Department of Geography for the past year has been studying changes in the urban occupance of the nation's flood plains since enactment of the Flood Control Act of 1936, The proj- ect was undertaken with a grant from Resources for the Future and has been under the direction of Gilbert F. White, Data compiled by the United States Weather Bureau indicate lhat total flood damage has mounted since enactment of the Flood Control Act of 1936. When the Weather Bureau data are adjusted to 1957 dollar values, mean annual property damage is seen to amount to $102 million for the period 1903-35, compared with $329 million for lhe period 1936-55, These are national figures used as background for specific areas studied by the group. A part of this national situation may be explained by a notable improve- ment in the accuracy and coverage of the data on losses. Another reason may be laid at the door of weather itself-there seems reason to believe that during the second quarter century large floods have been more fre- quent. A third cause the Chicago group attributes to increased use of the flood plains for resjdential. industrial.. and municipal purposes-since , , " 14