Water resources and their role in attracting tourists (Case Study: Tehran’s Qanats)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 PhD Student, Department of Urbanism, Emarat Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dubai, UAE

2 Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Tehran Central Branch of Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Urbanism, Eastern Branch of Tehran, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Since Iranians introduced Qanat to the world, it has been widely spread around the world due to its usefulness providing people with groundwater. According to studies conducted in Iran, it is estimated that about 10,000 km qanats with 300,000 wells lie under Iranian urban areas. In order to utilize these water resources, sustainable development should be taken into account, which is exploitation of these resources with responsibility, reasonable and proper planning. Tourism is associated with many advantages including cultural exchange, flourished native businesses, increased rate of employment, and familiarity of  communities with each other. Studying the history and structure of Qanats in Iran and other regions reveals the high technical knowledge of our ancestors. Many reasons contribute to the decline of Qanats in Iran including new methods of irrigation, climate changes and inappropriate management knowledge. However, based on previous successful experiences in reviving Qanats and turning them into tourist attractions in different parts of the world and also Iran, the high potential of this structure to attract a huge number of tourists is revealed; therefore, reviving and improving these structures in historical parts of Tehran is recommended.

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References

منابع
 
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Iranian journal of Ecohydrology
Volume 4, Issue 3
September 2017
Pages 931-941

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History

  • Receive Date: 18 April 2017
  • Revise Date: 08 August 2017
  • Accept Date: 21 July 2017

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