Qanat rehabilitation in the MENA regionfrom Morocco to Iraq

Qanat rehabilitation inQanat rehabilitation inthe MENA regionthe MENA region

from Morocco to Iraqfrom Morocco to Iraq

By Dr. Joshka WesselsBy Dr. Joshka Wessels

Nice to meet you !Nice to meet you !

Combining visual anthropology and geography for Sustainable Traditional Water Management. Eco-documentaries about water, sustainable development, ecopeace, sanitation and the environment. Films broadcast on BBC World and Al Jazeera English, Discovery Channel, The Water Channel.

PhD ThesisPhD Thesis

20082008

““TO COOPERATE OR NOT TO COOPERATE…?”TO COOPERATE OR NOT TO COOPERATE…?”

Collective action for rehabilitationCollective action for rehabilitationof traditional water tunnel systems (qanats) in Syriaof traditional water tunnel systems (qanats) in Syria

Promotors:Promotors:Ton Dietz - UvA, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsTon Dietz - UvA, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsTony Allan - SOAS/Kings college, London, UKTony Allan - SOAS/Kings college, London, UK

Support from ICARDA, UNU, SDC, DGISSupport from ICARDA, UNU, SDC, DGISProfessor Iwao Kobori (Tokyo University)Professor Iwao Kobori (Tokyo University)

What is a qanat ?What is a qanat ?

Source: Prof. Dale Lightfoot, Oklahoma State University

What is a qanat ?What is a qanat ?

Qanat as a human ecosystemQanat as a human ecosystem

PhD Thesis - problem treePhD Thesis - problem treeQanats in Syria are

being abandoned

Qanats fall dryQanats do not give

enough revenue

Qanats cannot provide

enough water and food

Population explosion

Changingsocio-economic

environment

Overexploitationgroundwater

resourcesClimate change

Lack of collective actionfor maintenance

Qanats are destroyed

Earthquakes, floods and wars

Introduction of newerextraction

technologes

Socio-politicalchanges In landuse

Landreform andredivision of land

Pilot renovations carried out Pilot renovations carried out between 2000 and 2004 between 2000 and 2004

Digital Video to documentDigital Video to documentoral history and knowledgeoral history and knowledge

ConclusionsConclusions

A seemingly homogenous, small-scale and close-knit community appeared to be in fact very diverse and socially complex.

The presence of powerful leaders, mediators and initiators at community level are main factors of success

Local socio-political history, perception, and power are important aspects of collective community action for successful qanat rehabilitation

Important Qanat countriesImportant Qanat countries Iran (Qanat)Iran (Qanat) North-Iraq (Kurdistan) (Karez)North-Iraq (Kurdistan) (Karez) Azerbaijan (Karez)Azerbaijan (Karez) Oman (Falaj)Oman (Falaj) Yemen (Ghayls)Yemen (Ghayls) Uzbekistan (Karez)Uzbekistan (Karez) China (Karez)China (Karez) Algeria (Foggara)Algeria (Foggara) Morocco (Khettara)Morocco (Khettara) Tunisia (Foggara) Tunisia (Foggara)

Karez in KurdistanKarez in Kurdistan

Restoration and Maintenance of Karez Restoration and Maintenance of Karez in Iraq: Advanced Techniques in in Iraq: Advanced Techniques in Planning, Methodology and Planning, Methodology and ApplicationsApplications

How to work with user communitiesHow to work with user communities

GUIDEBOOK FOR SUSTAINABLE GUIDEBOOK FOR SUSTAINABLE QANAT REHABILITATIONQANAT REHABILITATION

Government Participation Government Participation

Almost 40% of the qanats in this region have died since the onset of drought in 2005 (most of those stopped in 2006-2008).

Using GIS and Google Earth for documentation and survey of Karezes – PhD study Hawta Khayyat at Oklahoma State University under supervision of Prof. Dale Lightfoot

Using GIS and Google Earth for documentation and survey of Karezes

Groundwater Geographic Information System GoalsGroundwater Geographic Information System Goals

Open Data Access Open Data Access – providing better access to a large – providing better access to a large volume of high quality, general purpose hydrologic volume of high quality, general purpose hydrologic data (for individuals, ministries, organizations).data (for individuals, ministries, organizations).

Hydrologic Observatories Hydrologic Observatories – storing and synthesizing – storing and synthesizing (organizing) hydrologic data for a region.(organizing) hydrologic data for a region.

InterdisciplinaryInterdisciplinary– providing a stronger hydrologic – providing a stronger hydrologic information infrastructure for the scientific community information infrastructure for the scientific community and other disciplines (scholars, planners, etc.).and other disciplines (scholars, planners, etc.).

Education OutreachEducation Outreach– bringing more hydrologic data – bringing more hydrologic data into the world, and decision support systems into the world, and decision support systems

Benefits for communityBenefits for community

Water from the Water from the Dawn of CivilizationDawn of Civilization

The use of GIS, Google Earth and DigitalThe use of GIS, Google Earth and Digital

Video for accessible documentation of oralVideo for accessible documentation of oral

history and intangible heritage of Qanathistory and intangible heritage of Qanat

experts and users for future generations –experts and users for future generations –

An international proposalAn international proposal

““The Last Diggers”The Last Diggers”

Water from the Water from the Dawn of CivilizationDawn of Civilization

The need for interdisciplinary cooperation and holistic approach

Participatory development approach

Involvement environmental NGOs, Civil society and Communities

Designate Qanats as World Heritage both tangible and intangible

Qanat rehabilitation in the MENA regionfrom Morocco to Iraq

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