Irrigation and drainage

Sites related to man-made constructions for water supply (for agriculture or drinking water) or removal of water.

Connected Sites

Site Rationale Link
Aflaj irrigation system
Al Ain Use of aflaj
Al-Ahsa Oasis The circular urban shape of the villages of Al-Ahsa resulted from an irrigation canal on one side and a drainage canal on the other side circling the village as a result of the developed water management systems in Al-Ahsa (AB ev)
Al-Hijr It bears witness to the development of Nabataean agricultural techniques using a large number of artificial wells in rocky ground. The wells are still in use. (unesco website)
Angkor Holds rrigation and drainage facilities such as reservoirs and canals to prevent floods and store irrigation water
Anuradhapura Has large "tanks" and associated irrigation canals etc. These were built to enable the city to run and feed itself as it lies within Sri Lanka's "dry zone"
Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque
Aranjuez Several waterworks, dams, canals to irrigate the gardens and prevent them from flashfloods
Australian Convict Sites Great North Road - significant drains and culverts were constructed as part of the road construction.
Bahla Fort Falaj in the Bahla Oasis
Bali Subak system
Bam Cultural Landscape the qanats
Battir network of irrigation channels (AB ev)
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe the nominated property includes the drainage catchment of the Essigberg west of the Hercules Monument which supplies the water features (AB ev)
Causses and Cévennes use of irrigated terraces for agriculture
Champaner-Pavagadh canal system
Chan Chan The Chimú used irrigation for their agriculture by diverting water from the Moche river. Water reservoirs can still be seen at the site
Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens "The Anzele Spring is located in the west part of the City Walls. It provides for the water needs of many mosques in the city, houses and gardens to the Urfa Gate, powers the mills outside of Mardin Gate, and irrigates the Hevsel Gardens".
El Fuerte de Samaipata ICOMOS: "There is an impressive series of at least nine cultivation terraces on the east and south of the rock. They are interconnected by means of stone steps and have a sophisticated system for drainage."
Everglades Several attempts were made to drain and develop the Everglades in the 1880s.
Fort and Shalamar Gardens Shalamar Gardens
Fortifications of Vauban Longwy: 5 wells for drinking water to see the inhabitants through a siege
Grand Canal the series illustrates the history of hydraulic techniques (dykes, lock gates, water supply, weirs, drainage and irrigation, etc.), (AB ev)
Grand Pré drainage system included an ingenious device called an 'aboiteau' (AB ev)
Hahoe and Yangdong "The nominated area includes fields bordering the river between the village and the lower slopes of the mountain. They are primarily irrigated rice paddies." - AB Document
Hani Rice Terraces A complex system of channels has been developed to spread this water around the terraces in and between different valleys.(whc)
Humayun's Tomb pools joined by channels
Hwaseong Fortress "The single surviving floodgate (there were originally two), known as Puksumun, is a well built sluice gate on the upstream side of the Fortress, used to control the flow of the stream running througb the site." - AB document
Incense Route of the Negev
Kairouan Bassins des Aghlabides
Keoladeo National Park Ajan Bund
Kujataa To be able to feed all these animals it was necessary to ensure stable production from the fields. To maintain this, an extensive irrigation system was constructed, with reservoirs at several levels and canals which spread out across the entire plain. (Unesco)
Laurisilva of Madeira The levadas provide essential drinking water and irrigation supplies (Unesco website)
Los Alerces National Park the artificial lake Amutui Quimei
M'Zab Valley The palm groves are partly irrigated by an underground water distribution system called "Foggara". This is similar to the Iranian "Qanat" and the Omani "Aflaj" but only operates for flood waters. Its maintenance and operation is a significant element within the cultural life of the inhabitants. See
Machu Picchu
Masada special system of tunnels and dams to supply Masada with water
Maulbronn Monastery Maulbronn Abbey for its extensive watermanagement system of reservoirs and channels
Meknes Agdal reservoir
Mexico City and Xochimilco Tenochtitlan artificial lake
Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan
Mérida The Proserpina and Cornalvo dams, both still functioning, are the most remarkable surviving examples of Roman water management systems. (AB)
Namhansanseong "As the entire Namhansanseong Fortress was mostly constructed along with mountain slopes, water permeating into the fortress walls could threaten the stability of the fortress walls. Accordingly, separate water drain holes were installed in places where the drainage system was not good. So far, 28 water drain holes have been verified." - Nomination File
Old City of Jerusalem Hizkia reservoir (drinking water supply)
Old Town of Lijiang
Orkhon Valley Ordu-Baliq - remains of a water drainage system
Palmeral of Elche
Persian Garden
Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos sewage system
Pyu Ancient Cities complex system of irrigation and water storage using elevated weirs canals, dykes, sluice gates, moats and water tanks (AB ev)
Qhapaq Ñan Choquequirao, Huamachuco
Rammelsberg and Goslar Upper Harz Water Management System
Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras Gravity-fed irrigation system, utilizing water from aquifers in the forests 2,000 feet above.
Royal Joseon Tombs "Ponds built at the Joseon royal burial grounds are mostly square, with round miniature islands, and serve to reinforce favorable energy at the entrance to the burial grounds while also aiding management of drainage of the royal tombs and supporting the caretakers' activities." - nomination file
San Antonio Missions .. share an intricate system of water distribution channels utilizing the fresh water resources from two springs (AB ev)
Sarazm "The irrigation system of Sarazm is probably one of the most sophisticated of the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age in Central Asia." (AB evaluation)
Sassanid Archaeological Landscape rock cut reservoirs in Bishapur
Serra de Tramuntana irrigation channels (AB ev)
Shahr-i Sokhta sewage system
Sigiriya Water reservoirs
Site of Xanadu water control works (AB ev)
Solovetsky Islands mesolithic hydraulic systems
Southern Öland Alby
Strasbourg Barrage Vauban (Dam)
Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch There are remains of an elaborate canal irrigation system dating from the Middle Ages or possibly from Roman times, the canals obtaining their water from glacial rivers (UNEP-WCMC)
Takht-e Soleyman residents of the area have created canals to channel the overflow as well as provide irrigation for surrounding fields, which, as a result, are specially fertile
Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley Several sites reflecting water irrigation processes (AB ev)
Telc artificial ponds
Tequila Guachimontone
The Persian Qanat
Tikal National Park
Vat Phou Hydraulic system stretching over 10 km
Xidi and Hongcun Hongcun: "Around 1405, on the advice of geomancers, a channel was dug to bring fresh water to the village from the West Stream. Two hundred years later the water supply system of the village was completed with the creation of the South Lake." (AB ev)
Yazd qanat system


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