The water principles

How do we codify the many aspects of the water cycle, and how it impacts ecology and climate into one set of principles?
Here is one set of foundational water principles

https://climatewaterproject.substack.com/p/in-search-of-a-foundational-set-of

I had a look at that subject matter and i think a simple topic has been turned into a mixture of complication, bewilderment and confusion.

I think we need to get back to basics on this for starters, and get hydroelectric power the status as renewable power. It is about as renewable as you can get considering the water cycle, and yet burning garbage in a boiler is considered "renewable energy" and hydropower is not?