Definition

Noun: The process or activity of making an area of water more useful. This typically involves engineering projects or management practices to control, store, distribute, or otherwise improve water resources for human benefit, such as for irrigation, drinking water supply, flood control, or power generation.

Usage

"Water development" is a technical term used in fields like civil engineering, environmental planning, and resource management. It refers to the broad concept of modifying natural water systems for practical purposes. * The government invested in water development to provide irrigation for the arid region. * Sustainable water development must balance human needs with environmental protection.

Examples

• The new dam is a major water development project aimed at generating hydroelectric power.
• International funding is crucial for water development in drought-prone countries.
• The conference focused on strategies for integrated water development and management.

Advanced Usage

• The term often appears in formal contexts discussing policy, infrastructure, and long-term resource planning. It can encompass both large-scale projects (like building reservoirs) and systemic management approaches.
• "Integrated water development" emphasizes a holistic approach that considers all uses and users of a water resource.

Variants and Related Words

• Water resource development: A very similar, often interchangeable term that explicitly highlights the resource aspect.
• Water management: A broader term that includes the ongoing operation, control, and conservation of water resources, of which development is a part.
• Hydraulic engineering: The engineering discipline concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, primarily water, which is applied in water development projects.

Synonyms

• Water resource management (in a broad sense)
• Water infrastructure development
• Hydraulic development

Related Concepts (Not Direct Synonyms)

• Conservation: The protection and preservation of water resources, which can be a goal or a competing priority with development.
• Reclamation: The process of recovering land from water or improving water quality, often part of a development project.
• Irrigation: A specific purpose or outcome of agricultural water development.

Noun

1. making an area of water more useful