New Book by Alumnus Maurits W. Ertsen
19.12.2015
Improvising Planned Development on the Gezira Plain, Sudan, 1900-1980 challenges the typical image of the Gezira Scheme—the large-scale irrigation scheme started under British colonial rule in Sudan—of a centrally-planned effort by a central colonial power, controlling tenants, and cotton production. Projects like Gezira are best understood in terms of continuous negotiations: this book rewrites Gezira's history in terms of colonial control, farmers' actions and resistance, and the broader development debate.
Ertsen (Delft University) has also co-edited the latest issue of Water History, the journal of the International Water History Association. The issue focuses on the workshop “Between Human Niche Construction and Imperial Power: Long-term trends in Ancient Water Systems,” which was designed and organized by Ertsen and close collaborator Tony Wilkinson. The issue is dedicated Tony Wilkinson, from Durham University, who sadly passed away in 2014.