Published on, Sept. 2 -- September 2, 2025 3:19 AM

Floods are a part of nature's ecology. Rivers have overflowed their banks long before modern human activity, which is often blamed for today's disasters. At some point, however, we stopped adapting to the natural cycles of rivers and the paths they carve for themselves. The cost has been more frequent and intense floods. Dams are a tool - but a blunt one. They manage water in the short term, often at the expense of long-term ecological balance. They are a human innovation that needs to be molded according to ecological needs. What matters most is finding a balance between human needs and nature's rhythms.

This struggle to balance control and adaptation has a long history. In their earli...