Uncertainties in Water Engineering Design and Management: The Shortcomings of Technology and the Centrality of the Human Being

The design of hydraulic structures and the management of public waters require knowledge of very specific technical methodologies, which current and future needs may require to change. The challenges of climate change and the scarcity of water resources in many areas of the world seem to impose clear directions. However, in this paper, the Author tries to show, through case studies, how these indications do not allow an objective development of new design paradigms. On the contrary, there are large margins of uncertainty that must be filled by human practical knowledge, guided by an esprit de finesse that can only be cultivated by experience, combined with an ethical sense that must be shared by the population.