Water is life! Follow Geoff as he explores Wadi Bani Khalid with one of the world's oldest and most remarkable water management systems—the Falaj. There, gravity's magic is used to bring water to the surface, slow it down and spread it, and then divert it to support gardens and households where needed. This is an excellent example of a permanent, sustainable, and productive system that could go on indefinitely.

The Wadi Beni Khalid in Oman boasts a 25-kilometer stretch of date palm trees, which are sustained by a water system that has likely been in operation for thousands of years. This system is still well-maintained and productive. The area is home to a variety of fruit trees, including mangos, citrus, fig, mulberry, custard apples, and papayas.

Right now, it’s running with a good flow in the channel due to extra rain, but it has been running for thousands of years and never stops. It is built to withstand desert floods. A rock barrage dam built by locals and meshed together with palm fiber backs up a pool of water and allows irrigation to move from one side of the valley to the other. It creates an extremely efficient model we can replicate and even improve with modern technology.

There’s no question, after thousands of years, that it’s sustainable, but more potential is there. The entire catchment could be diversified and increased in fertility easily. The protentional for nitrogen-fixing pollarding is there. The mainframe system is in place, with channels going in all directions to water the gardens.

Built around a water source, gravity flows, and adding a bit of fertility, this system has lasted thousands of years. It’s something modern agriculture can’t sustain. Modern systems collapse after 100, even just 50, years because all the fertility is gone. We should be using these ancient, proven systems as models for new, sustainable designs.

This video is the fourth in a series where Geoff takes us on a journey through Oman’s ancient water harvesting and irrigation systems. To follow his adventure, watch the following videos:

The Ancient Irrigation Systems of Oman -    • The Ancient Irrigation Systems of Oman  
The Ancient Irrigation Systems of Oman; Misfat Al Abriyeen -    • The Ancient Irrigation Systems of Oma...  
The Ancient Irrigation Systems of Oman; Birkat Al Mouz -    • The Ancient Irrigation Systems of Oma...  

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About Geoff:

Geoff is a world-renowned permaculture consultant, designer, and teacher that has established demonstration sites that function as education centers in all the world's major climates. Geoff has dedicated his life to spreading permaculture design across the globe and inspiring people to take care of the earth, each other and to return the surplus.

About Permaculture:

Permaculture integrates land, resources, people, and the environment through mutually beneficial synergies – imitating the no-waste, closed-loop systems seen in diverse natural systems. Permaculture applies holistic solutions that are applicable in rural and urban contexts and at any scale. It is a multidisciplinary toolbox including agriculture, water harvesting and hydrology, energy, natural building, forestry, waste management, animal systems, aquaculture, appropriate technology, economics, and community development.

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