Deserts—Wind—Water: Strategies of Human Adaptations and Renewable Resources in Extremely Arid Environments. A Historical Retrospective

Qanats, ancient subterranean water channels originating in northwestern Iran around the 1st millennium BCE, have enabled sustainable agriculture and urban development in arid desert regions of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This study reveals that qanats facilitated isolated rural and urban habitats by tapping into groundwater tables, supporting formidable desert cities when combined with vernacular architecture. However, their historical spread—including diffusion via colonial Spain to Latin America—and potential eastern pathways remain under discussion. While qanats represent a highly sustainable irrigation system, modern pump irrigation has led to over-exploitation of non-renewable groundwater, threatening their survival. The research analyzes the engineering and historical aspects of qanat construction, highlighting their dual role in enabling desert civilization while reinforcing rent-capitalist socio-economic structures. Recognized as UNESCO World Heritage, Persian qanats symbolize humanity's cultural adaptation to extreme arid environments.

Ehlers, E. (2021). Deserts—Wind—Water: Strategies of Human Adaptations and Renewable Resources in Extremely Arid Environments. A Historical Retrospective. Middle East and North Africa, 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004444973_007