The Economic Impacts of Historical Water Reservoirs and Ghanat in Ancient Iran

Abstract

Iran has situated in hot and dry zone, so Iranian have been understood the value of water from long time ago. This factor was the important reason for familiarity and optimum use of water resources by the technical people. If we carefully see the construction of reservoirs, ganats, locks etc we can understand that each of them has been constructed based on technical and engineering principals with respect to climate conditions in each area. Ganats and reservoirs of Shahrood area show the importance of water resources use in past years. Present research work has been conducted based on importance and old of ganats and reservoirs in Shahrood suburb. Results of study showed that there were 100 ganats in shahrood and Bastam up to 55 years ago which are working only 10 ganats in present time. In Bastam the biggest and full water ganat is Sadeg Khan ganat and it is working more than 200 years. This ganat belong to different people and discharge of that is 50 lit/s. In an arid area like Shahrood such ganat improves the Bastam agriculture and it is so important to environment of this area. It is irrigating more than 200 ha gardens in Bastam and increases the economic in this area. The optimum use of water of this ganat and Black ganat in Galeh Now Kharagan village and springs in Meyghan are the main objectives of their designers.