In 1–2 sentences, compare the methods used and the reasons behind how Egyptians and Mesopotamians changed their environments to suit their needs.

Both Egyptians and Mesopotamians altered their environments primarily through irrigation, but the methods differed due to their geographic conditions: Egyptians relied on the predictable annual flooding of the Nile to develop a sophisticated system of basin irrigation, while Mesopotamians faced unpredictable river systems (the Tigris and Euphrates) and created complex networks of canals and dikes to control water flow for agriculture. Their initiatives were driven by the need for reliable water sources to support farming and sustain their growing populations.