January 1, 1976 A quantum jump is necessary in our efforts toward a comprehensive under- standing of the state of the environment, on both global and regional bases. Such an understanding is indispensable to rational environmental management because it enables … Read More
May 1, 1975 The primary role of a decision-maker is to make right decisions on the basis of available information and within the allowable time and resources constraints. The two basic types of models used for decision-making, technocratic and incremental, … Read More
August 1, 1973 Historically, the main objective of water resources development has been economic efficiency, and the technique for its evaluation has been benefit-cost analysis. Gradually other objectives have emerged, and these in order of their emergence are regional income … Read More
December 1, 1971 There is no universally acceptable technique available to estimate the magnitude and frequency of floods. The “rational method”, empirical formulae and regional analysis all have restrictions. The remaining approaches are deterministic, using design precipitation maxima and probabilistic, … Read More
January 4, 1971 Decisions to develop water resources systems so far have been primarily taken on the basis of engineering and economic feasibilities. Very rarely, if ever, sociological feasibility has been considered, except in a very broad sense. Planning is … Read More
June 1, 1970 EDMOND HALLEY (1656–1742) was a versatile genius, primarily known as a pioneer in astronomy, geophysics and mathematics. He was also interested in history, navigation, archaeology and civil engineering. He wrote poems in Latin and translated ancient works … Read More
September 16, 1968 A design of any engineering structure may be said to be optimum when it can meet all the necessary requirements at a minimum possible cost. In all cases there is a probability, however slight (sometimes even incalculable … Read More
September 1, 1967 SAMUEL JOHNSON once said ‘when two Englishmen meet their first talk is of the weather. They are in haste to tell each other what each must already know, that it is hot or cold, bright or cloudy, … Read More
January 1, 1967 The pre-Hellenic civilizations, as discussed in a previous paper, grew up mainly on the banks of the three major river basins of the Nile, the Tigris- Euphrates, and the Indus. The Hellenic civilization started around 600 B.C. … Read More