Oman's ancient irrigation systems: Supporting life in a desert
Oman's ancient irrigation systems: Supporting life in a desert
Overview of Oman's irrigation system.
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
Transcript
Oman, on the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Its capital city Muscat is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region thanks to its beautiful harbor and guaranteed sunny weather.
But while sun worshippers revel in the consistently hot temperatures, the citizens are desperate for rain. The people in Oman consider a rainy day a lucky day. And the inland regions are just as arid. The inhabitants of this desert state have been fighting to survive in this dry climate for centuries. To see the innovative approaches the people here have taken to secure themselves a water supply, we must go deep inside the mountain.
Chamis and Mohammed see to the care and maintenance of a feat of ancient engineering - the irrigation system for Birkat Al Mus, their home village. These irrigation systems, known as aflaj, collect mountain water, allowing lush oases to spring up from what seems like nothing. Some of these irrigation systems are as much as 2,000 years old. The canal is long and winding, as wide as a man's shoulders and only a meter high, but Mohammed has to creep along its entire length. Like his forefathers before him, Wakil is the village water monitor and therefore responsible for maintaining the aflaj system. His is an important and highly regarded position. This channel, constructed 400 years ago, must be cleaned regularly so that the mountain spring water channelled into the village remains clear and pure. Water is the most precious commodity in this desert community.
Their village, Birkat Al Mus, has been a verdant oasis for centuries. All thanks to this ancient system of irrigation. The inhabitants are very proud of their ancestors, whose astonishing engineering skills ensure their descendants' survival to this day. The soil here is so fertile that in Mohammed's garden alone dozens of date palms are thriving. Dates have been a staple of the diet in Oman for as long as anyone can remember. Once a year Mohammed manually pollinates his trees. To do this he has to climb up the trees and fertilize the female flowers on the fruit-bearing trees with pollen from the male plants.
But, of course, Mohammed's garden is not the only place in the country with flourishing date trees. Across Oman a total of around 3,000 functioning aflaj systems deliver precious mountain spring water along thousands of miles of channels, ensuring the survival of plants, animals and people throughout the desert state.
But while sun worshippers revel in the consistently hot temperatures, the citizens are desperate for rain. The people in Oman consider a rainy day a lucky day. And the inland regions are just as arid. The inhabitants of this desert state have been fighting to survive in this dry climate for centuries. To see the innovative approaches the people here have taken to secure themselves a water supply, we must go deep inside the mountain.
Chamis and Mohammed see to the care and maintenance of a feat of ancient engineering - the irrigation system for Birkat Al Mus, their home village. These irrigation systems, known as aflaj, collect mountain water, allowing lush oases to spring up from what seems like nothing. Some of these irrigation systems are as much as 2,000 years old. The canal is long and winding, as wide as a man's shoulders and only a meter high, but Mohammed has to creep along its entire length. Like his forefathers before him, Wakil is the village water monitor and therefore responsible for maintaining the aflaj system. His is an important and highly regarded position. This channel, constructed 400 years ago, must be cleaned regularly so that the mountain spring water channelled into the village remains clear and pure. Water is the most precious commodity in this desert community.
Their village, Birkat Al Mus, has been a verdant oasis for centuries. All thanks to this ancient system of irrigation. The inhabitants are very proud of their ancestors, whose astonishing engineering skills ensure their descendants' survival to this day. The soil here is so fertile that in Mohammed's garden alone dozens of date palms are thriving. Dates have been a staple of the diet in Oman for as long as anyone can remember. Once a year Mohammed manually pollinates his trees. To do this he has to climb up the trees and fertilize the female flowers on the fruit-bearing trees with pollen from the male plants.
But, of course, Mohammed's garden is not the only place in the country with flourishing date trees. Across Oman a total of around 3,000 functioning aflaj systems deliver precious mountain spring water along thousands of miles of channels, ensuring the survival of plants, animals and people throughout the desert state.