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The transformation of major river basins represents one of the most prominent markers of the Anthropocene across the Global South. This article provides a comparative environmental history of anthropogenic river engineering projects along the Niger and Volta river basins from the late nineteenth century through the late twentieth century. Drawing on archival British and French colonial government records, survey cartography, and paleo-environmental proxy data, the study explores how centralized state authorities systematically reshaped fluvial hydrology to facilitate imperial expansion, cash-crop agricultural intensification, and industrial energy extraction. We trace the shift from localized, adaptive indigenous water management networks to top-down mega-hydraulic engineering projects characterized by large dams, river channelization, and wetland drainage. The ecological consequences—including altered sedimentation dynamics, soil salinization, and the catastrophic collapse of endemic fisheries—demonstrate a recurring historical pattern where short-term economic objectives severely compromised long-term ecosystem stability.

The transformation of major river basins represents one of the most prominent markers of the Anthropocene. This article provides a global historical analysis of anthropogenic river engineering projects across Eurasia and North America from the late eighteenth century through the mid-twentieth century. Drawing on archival records, cartographic evidence, and paleo-environmental proxy data, the study explores how centralized state authorities systematically reshaped fluvial hydrology to facilitate modern state consolidation, agricultural expansion, and industrialization. We trace the shift from localized, adaptive water management systems to mega-hydraulic engineering projects characterized by extensive damming, channelization, and wetland reclamation. The environmental consequences—including altered sedimentation dynamics and loss of aquatic biodiversity—demonstrate a recurring historical pattern where immediate economic objectives compromised ecological stability. Keywords: Environmental History, Hydrology, Anthropocene, State Power, River Engineering, Ecological Transformation