The Water Crisis in the Central Plateau of Iran and the Necessity of Paying Attention to the Indigenous Knowledge of Qanat in Iran (Case study: Joupar’s GuharRiz Qanat)

Most of Iran's land is located in a dry and semi-arid region in the desert belt area of the world. Accordingly, drought and dehydration are inherent in the central plateau of Iran, and access to sustainable water resources has been the most important challenge for the residents of this area. Ancient Persians, with the invention of Qanats, provided a good way of accessing water based on the principle of respect for the environment and adaptation to nature, which was the source of a magnificent civilization in the central plateau of Iran. What is called sustainable development today has been well adhered to in the structure and system of Qanats, and hence the Qanat has been in operation for over three thousand years. This research, in addition to studying the properties of the Qanat and its structure in the economic and social life of Iran, has paid attention to the indigenous knowledge of Qanat. By studying the case of GuharRiz Qanat of Joupar in southern Kerman, it has been concluded that the revival of Qanats and reliance on indigenous knowledge of water management It can be the source of many environmental and water crises in the central plateau of Iran.