Meet Gilbert F. White

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Gilbert F. White was an American geographer and pioneer in the field of water resource management. He was a prominent figure in the development of modern environmental policy and planning. White's work focused on understanding the relationships between water resources and human society, and his research and advocacy helped shape national and international policies related to water management.

White published an influential paper titled "The Analysis of Irrigation Systems: Utah Valley," which applied geographic analysis to the study of water management systems. This paper helped establish the field of water resource geography and set the stage for White's later work in water management.

White was instrumental in the establishment of the Environmental Science and Engineering program at the University of Colorado. This interdisciplinary program was one of the first of its kind and served as a model for similar programs at other universities.

He advocated for a federal program to provide flood insurance to homeowners and businesses, which led to the creation of the program in 1968. Today, the program provides flood insurance to millions of Americans and helps mitigate the impact of flooding on communities across the country.