The Importance of Ancient and Modern Methods of Water Conservation
Water is a significant challenge in drylands. From the old age up to the present, various technologies to harvest and use water, either as surface water or rainwater, have been invented. During the ancient times in Mesopotamia, impressive hydraulic structures such as the Sennacherib Aqueduct was constructed to harvest and provide water for irrigation to the people living in water-scarce areas (Tamburrino, 2010). To cope with water scarcity, human societies develop water management approaches in proximity to cultural and social evolution
Ancient methods of conserving water have two significant features; they lead to practices that are: connected to sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, and are socially sociable. For instance, oases demonstrate the traditional management approach in the usage of geomorphological and physical factors. Oases comprise a water management and distribution system, cultivation of plants that are salinity and aridity tolerant, and planting structure that control micro-climate.
Over the years, water conservation has become a global issue; thus, new initiatives and technology have been developed to modernize the process (Narayanan, 2016). The increase in demand for water and fresh water sources has led to more need to conserve water. Technology, such as the introduction of sensor and automated systems in agricultural activities, have been implemented for conserving water. For instance, computerised systems are placed in farms monitor how crops are growing and decide the amount of water needed. The smart usage of water automated systems helps in maintaining the health of the crop as well as the farm. Additionally, on-site reuse is another modern water conservation method used in large spaces such as hotels, among others to recycle water for reuse. In this technology, water can be recycled into Graywater or potable water depending on the structure’s need.
Works cited
Narayanan, M. (2016, December). Water Conservation and Economic Incentives. In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts.
Tamburrino, A. (2010). Water technology in ancient Mesopotamia. In Ancient Water Technologies (pp. 29-51). Springer, Dordrecht.