Past and modern water problems: progress or regression? (Invited)

Human needs related to water storage, transfer and utilization triggered technological advancements since prehistoric times in all civilizations. A comparison of technological solutions to water problems in ancient and modern Greece reveals that, while the present day technologies are obviously superior, the underlying design principles are not different in the two cases, while it is questionable whether there has been any progress with respect to durability, sustainability and balance in water technology and management. Furthermore, it can be supported that the present day approaches manifest a regression in that logos, logic and rational inquiry tend to be abandoned and replaced by stereotypes and doctrines, particularly those related to the environmentalist ideology, which have obstructed progress during recent decades.