How does the water come down at Lodore? Robert Southey ~ B r i t i s h p o e t ~ “ The Cataract of Lodore,” 1820
Above: An irrigation canal snakes through an Ursi mountain village in the Zanskar region of India. India has been using artificial irrigation for centuries, though recently the practice has shifted from primarily using surface water, via canals like this one, to pumping groundwater. © Shutterstock / Falk Kienas