Thierry Ruf is an Associate Professor in the Institute for Higher Education in Tropical Agri-food Industry and Rural Development of Montpellier (Supagro, Institut des Régions Chaudes). As an agronomist, geographer and researcher, he is also affiliated with the Research Institute for the Development (IRD, France). He works on irrigation development in the Mediterranean Basin (Morocco, Egypt, France) and is a member of the executive council of the International Water History Association (IWHA) and the French National Committee of Geography (CNFG).