Description:
A qanat is a water management system used to secure reliable water supply to human settlements or irrigation in semi-arid and arid regions. Probably originating in Persia, the qanat system has been adopted and developed further in large parts of Asia and Europe. Its widespread use is refected in the many names for the system and similar systems; kariz/kahan (Persian), khettara (Morocco), galeria (Spain), falaj (United Arab Emirates and Oman), kahn (Baloch), foggara/fughara (North Africa), and karez (Armenia and China). A qanat consists of many well-like vertical shafts connected by a gently sloping tunnel (Fig. 16) Tapping into the subterranean water table, the qanat system is effective in delivering large quantities of water to locations lower than the water source without pumping.