Local initiatives and indigenous knowledge in community-based water resources management(Case study: Roozkin Village – Sarduyeh- Jiroft District)

Local initiatives have been defined as specific collective activities without external support or incentives in order to control either ground or surface waters. One of the most important of approaches in water resources management is community-based water management. Social structures of water resources are one of the aspects of indigenous knowledge in the management of water resources and it is necessary to analyze the social structures associated with it. The main objective of this paper is to identify aspects of indigenous knowledge related to the sustainable water resources management in Roozkin Village - Sarduyeh- Jiroft County. In this study, based on anthropological methods and qualitative approaches, including direct and participatory observation and organized interviews with 32 informed respondents (farmers) was used. In Roozkin Village, a certain social structure governs on the management of water resources in the region dating back more than 100 years. Cooperation in water resources management is considered as fundamental principle in this village and the social roles of Arbab and Zaim are among social initiatives of this village in management of water resources. In this village, 10 associations or local groups have been formed for managing water resources and each group is composed of Arbab and Zaim. In general, it could be noted that indigenous knowledge and local traditions in the village are factors influencing on sustainability of water resources and also it could be concluded that they will be effective in the promotion of socio-ecological resilience in the face of environmental crises such as drought.