COMBINATION OF TRADITION AND THE MODERN AGE: NEW METHODS FOR EFFICIENT WATER MANAGEMENT

The focus of this paper is on whether and which traditional structures and methods, perhaps in combination with modern approaches and elements, could lead to a better and more sustainable management of water resources. Arid and semi-arid regions are at the centre of this paper. Some subject areas and methods in which the consideration of traditional methods and structures appears particularly promising are described. The examples listed show that in the various areas there are technically interesting aspects of historical water structures that still have relevance today. In addition to this, however, there is another overriding benefit of water historic research, which is independent of any single structure. In some cases these benefits exist even when the system itself has no further use today or its traces have largely disappeared. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.