ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 represents a historical detour, but one that is necessary for understanding how the field of water policy operates in our own present. Water management has moved away from the rationality of engineers toward more political-, legal-, and business-oriented processes. Importantly, in dealing with these themes, this chapter also presents the social logics that water policy has for economic development. This includes mega-projects realized by federal engineers and federal funds, as well as disputes that have arisen on the water flows and the evolution toward legal solutions, which have now come as far as to emphasize cooperation and a general discourse of consensus.
