How has irrigated agriculture changed people’s lives?

Irrigated agriculture, which was practiced by the most ancient civilizations (for example, the peoples of Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, the Indus Valley or Ancient China) was a rather effective method for raising yields and increasing the area under crops, which was not always suitable for farming in general. For example, in Egypt and Mesopotamia, most of the country’s territory before the appearance of people was a desert. It was irrigated agriculture that helped people begin the construction of large settlements, and then cities, around which powerful states were formed.