ABSTRACT
The following three chapters examine major engineering and construction projects on water resources in the Americas, including the USA, the Caribbean region and South America. Various historical analyses and case studies are described to show that health, ecology and recreational uses can be protected by careful design and operation of dams, locks and canals, as in the Tennessee River Valley (Figure 6.1). The examples also indicate that the success of water projects often depends on protecting the construction
labour force and nearby resident or immigrant populations from unfavourable health and environmental consequences, as in construction of the Panama Canal.
