بررسي رابطه و فن آوري باستاني بيابان زدايي بندر سار و قنات

The Study of Relationship Between Two Desert Combating Traditional Technologies: Band-Sar and Qanat

Arid and semi-arid climate and the absence of perennial rivers have caused water and irrigation to be very important facts in Iran. Iranians have developed various techniques for finding water and itʹs conservation. By supplying water through these technologies, indeed our ancestors expanded agriculture and combated deserts and made living possible in dry parts of the country. Various traditional water supplying and irrigation techniques were used by Iranians, from which Band-sar and Qanat and their relationships are described in this paper. Band-says are large farms constructed by earth embankments on contour lines. Farmers of Khorasan (north-eastern province in Iran) have used Band-sars to control flood water for irrigation to produce some crops. In this method, more than 80% of floodwater recharges the underground water. Qanats, assumed as underground blood vessels, carry under groundwater to the surface and its discharge depends on the amount of recharge, which, Band-sars are one of the important sources of it. On the other hand, the excess water of Qanats can be used for irrigation of Band-sars when there is good rainfall as well as cold periods. The authers conclude that our ancestors have developed systems for sustainable utilization of water resources, which can be suitable lessons to deal with water crises even at the present time.