The New Encyclopaedia Britannica

Mobile Technologies in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond

Shattering Illusions: Using Analytical Evidence to Establish Clearer Pictures of Glass Production and Trade within Africa

The Diffusion of Irrigation Technologies in the Sahara in Antiquity: Settlement, Trade and Migration

Movement and management of animals in the North and West of Africa from 1000 BC to AD 1000

Water, the first mirror of the man who reasons, was considered at the dawn of the Greek philosophy as the origin of all things. Across the times of the landscape, societies have attempted to control this material necessary for their existence and proliferation. In its quest for water, man has built the most spectacular of systems: the qanat. This system represents one of the rare ancient procedures of water acquisition succeeding to overcome the rainfall's rhythm in arid zones. This key attribute elucidates the considerable expansion of the technique in the Near and the Middle East and its exportation to North Africa which assured the survival of generations in harsh climatic conditions. This paper highlights the existence and use of this antique system of water acquisition in Tunisia and in Oman in the light of new challenges including climate, environmental and social changes. In fact, the two countries chare, to different degrees, a main ground and surface water supply technique: the qanat; known as foggara in Tunisia and falaj in Oman. This paper explores the present situation of the system in both countries besides its near future and the ways considered for its preservation as important cultural heritage.

The Qanat as a Crucial Antique Water Acquisition System Common to Arid Zones’ Communities: Two case Studies, Foggaras inTunisia and Afalaj in Oman

The agricultural production in arid zones, basically based on rainfed farming, which is depend to conserve scarce water resources by many techniques of water harvesting, such as the technique of “Jessour”. However, several attempts were held to exploit the excess of runoff for rainfed farming and reduce water erosion in the mountainous regions, and the technique of “jessour” is the best way for the conservation and the management of water and soil resources. Despite its important role, this technique known by a fragile structure, which can easily destroy in case of overflow, and consequently representing a real danger threat the small villages located in the downstream. In this paper, “Winjesr”, was used to simulate the impact of the overflow caused by the excess of runoff behind the dykes and the destruction of the Elementary Hydraulic Unit (Jesr). 620 jesr were studied with the use of data from the parameters of jessours such as: cultivated area (length, width), dyke (height, length, and spillway). Generally, the disproportion between the surface of retention and the surface of impluvium (catchment area), always causes the overflow and subsequently, the destruction of the dykes during exceptional events, even if they are maintained very well. Three quarters of jessour are destroyed at 50mm of runoff water. Moreover, the units located in the upstream are the most threatened (steep slope and a small surface of impluvium).

The Jessour: Wise traditional technique for water and soil conservation in southeastern Tunisia (the case of micro-watershed El-Jouabit, Mareth, Gabes)

Mohamed Moussa

Papers

The Qanat as a Crucial Antique Water Acquisition System Common to Arid Zones’ Communities: Two case Studies, Foggaras inTunisia and Afalaj in Oman

The Jessour: Wise traditional technique for water and soil conservation in southeastern Tunisia (the case of micro-watershed El-Jouabit, Mareth, Gabes)