Corey Ross and Taylor Dingman discuss the relationship between water and political power in imperial contexts. They explore how water shaped colonial rule through infrastructure, governance, and unequal access, and how colonial water policies continue to influence present-day vulnerabilities and crises. Corey Ross also reflects on the project’s sources and methods and highlights future directions for blue history research.

Corey Ross is Director of the Institute and Professor for European Global Studies. His expertise focuses on the history of imperialism and global environmental history in the 19th and 20th centuries. His research on the socio-environmental history of Europe’s relations with the rest of the world builds on interdisciplinarity, investigates the global, transimperial and transnational circulation of ideas, goods and people, and aims to highlight perspectives that are relevant to major present-day and future challenges.