Sustainability of Traditional Water Management Systems

Traditional water management systems, developed over millennia in arid and semi-arid regions, employ gravity-driven techniques to harvest, convey and store groundwater and runoff with minimal energy input. Qanats, karez and similar subsurface galleries tap aquifers at higher elevations, delivering reliable flows to settlements and oases. Their sustainability derives from passive operation, seasonal recharge matching extraction rates and community-based governance that regulates maintenance and equitable sharing. Such systems demonstrate resilience under variable climate conditions, offering insight into low-carbon water governance, landscape stewardship and heritage conservation. Current research emphasises the need to integrate these ancient infrastructures with modern water-security strategies, recognising their ecological benefits, drought mitigation potential and cultural value. Challenges include degradation due to urban expansion, aquifer over-exploitation, pollution and social changes that undermine traditional maintenance regimes. Revitalisation efforts underscore their role in sustainable development, highlighting adaptive management that blends traditional practices with contemporary engineering and participatory planning.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have examined water quality in traditional galleries, assessing heavy-metal contamination and public health implications. Field analyses of wells, qanats and springs in mining-impacted regions reveal that most sites maintain acceptable groundwater quality, although isolated stations exceed guideline levels for nickel, indicating a need for targeted remediation. Non-carcinogenic risk assessments demonstrate that the vast majority of sampled systems continue to offer safe water, affirming their ongoing utility. Findings reinforce the importance of combining hydrogeochemical monitoring with community-led maintenance to safeguard these heritage systems against industrial pressures and pollution.

Sustainability of Traditional Water Management Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in sustainability of traditional water management systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Qanat: A gently sloping underground channel that transports groundwater by gravity from an upland aquifer to surface outlets.

Karez: A regional term for a qanat system, common in Central Asia, comprising vertical shafts linked by a sloping tunnel to convey water.

Khettara: North African variant of the qanat, traditionally used to extract groundwater for oasis irrigation through gravity-fed tunnels.

Draining gallery (horizontal covered well): A near-surface horizontal excavation designed to intercept groundwater without pumping, functioning as an energy-free well.

References

1. Spatial health risk assessments of nickel in the groundwater sources of a mining-impacted area. Scientific Reports (2024).
2. Impact Analysis of Land Use and Land Cover Change on Karez in Turpan Basin of China. Remote Sensing (2023).
3. The Horizontal Covered Well (Draining Gallery) Technique as a Model for Sustainable Water Use. Sustainability (2023).
4. Khettaras in the Tafilalet oasis (Morocco): contribution to the promotion of tourism and sustainable development. Built Heritage (2022).
5. Sustainability of Underground Hydro-Technologies: From Ancient to Modern Times and toward the Future. Sustainability (2020).