Traditional KAREZ water management in Pakistan

1. Traditional KAREZ water management in Pakistan Tanveer Arif SCOPE Pakistan

2. The term • A qanāt (from Arabic: قناة‎, in Persian: کاریز‎ kariz) is a water management system used to provide a reliable supply of water for human settlements and irrigation in hot, arid and semi-arid climates. • Qanats are also called kārīz in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, derived from Persian: كاهریز‎), kahan from Persian: کهن‎khettara (Morocco); galería (Spain); falaj (United Arab Emirates and Oman); Kahn (Baloch) or foggara/fughara (North Africa).

3. Structure

4. Traditional technology • This technology that originated in the Chinese deserts west of the Himalayas is also commonly used in the highlands of Baluchistan, although with some minor modifications. Though it is not known how it reached here. Small water channel that are built along the hill gradient for maintaining the proper gravity flow of water are found in Baluchistan in many places.

5. Traditional irrigation for hot deserts • The Karez system on irrigation is one of the traditional engineering wonders of Pakistan. • West of Indus Plains and out of monsoon zone is Baluchistan • Baluchistan is the largest landmass in Pakistan with an area of 343,000 square Kms. It is scarcely populated, mainly due to its daunting arid geography. It includes the mountainous country separated by intervening valleys. Baluchistan receives very low rainfall annually. • But innumerable natural springs known as “Karez” and streams are found in most of the areas.

6. The Karez system • The Karez irrigation systems rely on gravitational pull • Comprised of a water source, underground tunnels, and vertical shafts that feed the water scarce areas. • These irrigation systems are owned and operated wholly by the community. Some work is being planned on to re establish the Karez irrigation system in Baluchistan

7. Technology • Then people ingeniously created the Karez to draw the underground water to irrigate the farmland. Wells begin at the base of the mountains along the contours of the hillside. To keep the underground channels unclogged, two men and a draught animal work as a team – one man is lowered down to clear the tunnel and buckets of mud are hoisted to the surface by the animal. The tunnels slope less than the contours of the geographical depression, so that the water reaches close to ground level. The water in Karez will not evaporate in large quantities.

8. Presence • Karez are found in The Chagai district is in the north west corner of Baluchistan, Pakistan, bordering with Afghanistan and Iran. Qanats, locally known as karezes, are found more broadly in this region. They are spread from Chaghai district all the way up to Zhob district. A number of them are present in Qilla Abdullah and Pishin districts. • Karezes are also extensively found in the neighboring areas of Afghanistan such as Kandahar. The remains of karezes found in different parts of the district are attributed to the Arabs.

9. Maintenance • Cleaning of Karez is considered collective social responsibility and people work for it on self-help basis • Once there existed a large network of these Karez’s in the province. The system has very low operational cast, it not only fulfils daily need of usage of water but also irrigates orchards and supply water for cultivation. • We should try to keep the system alive. These are social streams as well.

10. Revitalization of Karez system • To improve the socio-economic status of the people of Baluchistan, by helping them realize the importance of the Karez system and facilitate self-help activities for rehabilitation of the same; • to identify and understand ground water irrigation system deficiencies and the causes for its abandonment by the community; to re-instil a sense of confidence in the Karez system among local communities; to protect, excavate and extend the Karez system in the other areas; to incorporate a delay action mechanism in the Karez system and to check the dam for efficient groundwater recharge; to train community leaders in the efficient operation and management of Karez.