Corey Ross on Water in the Colonial World

In this episode, Taylor Dingman (Research Intern at the Roosevelt Institute for American Studies) speaks with Prof. Dr. Corey Ross (Institute for European Global Studies, University of Basel) about his book Liquid Empire: Water and Power in the Colonial World (Princeton University Press, 2024). They discuss the relationship between water and political power in imperial contexts, including how water shaped rule through infrastructure, governance, and unequal access, and how colonial water policies continue to influence vulnerabilities and crises today. Ross also reflects on the project’s sources and methods and highlights promising directions for future blue history research.