TEHRAN – Iran’s traditional water-management practices can help address water scarcity, strengthen community resilience and promote regional cooperation, Atousa Momeni, head of the Tehran-based Regional Research Center for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in West and Central Asia, said at a ceremony marking the World Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Speaking at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts on Monday, Momeni said Iran’s centuries-old water heritage, including qanats, traditional reservoirs, Persian gardens and water-sharing systems, reflects a deep-rooted culture of adapting to water scarcity.
She stressed that safeguarding such heritage requires preserving not only its physical structures but also the knowledge, skills and community practices that sustain it.
“If the qanat is the physical body of heritage, the knowledge of qanat diggers, maintenance skills, water-allocation rules and community participation constitute its soul,” she said, warning that the loss of traditional knowledge and its transmission between generations could undermine the vitality of water heritage.
Momeni highlighted several Iranian experiences in water management, including Semnan’s historical “Partaqsim” water-sharing system, traditional rainwater storage on Qeshm Island in Hormozgan province, and community-led restoration of water reservoirs in Larestan, Fars province.
She said combining indigenous knowledge with modern technologies could offer practical responses to contemporary water challenges, particularly in communities vulnerable to water shortages and emergencies.
Addressing the vulnerability of water-supply infrastructure during conflicts and crises, especially in Hormozgan, Momeni called for integrating ancestral wisdom with contemporary expertise to improve local resilience.
The ceremony also featured the presentation of the “Living Water Heritage” award, recognizing three initiatives from Semnan, Hormozgan and Fars provinces for their efforts to preserve traditional water-management knowledge and adapt it to present-day needs.
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