"Right before finals, we have to study at work because we are running out of time, " says Sachin Wadhawan, a director of solutions engineering at Convio, about himself and his classmates in the McCombs School of Business E.

WSJ: More Small-Company Employees Enroll in Executive MBA Programs

Engineering solutions like fish ladders, water-velocity regulators, and careful site design can mitigate many of these concerns.

FORBES: Hydroelectric Revolution: A River Runs Through It

But the problems can all be overcome through existing engineering solutions, if politics and economics can only change tack.

BBC: Harrabin's Notes: Population overload?