What a qanat is
A qanat is a gently sloping underground tunnel that carries water from an aquifer in the foothills to fields and towns far away, using gravity alone. Iranians have built them for some two and a half thousand years, and they made life possible at the edge of the desert. Eleven qanats are listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The idea
Qanats need no pump and no fuel. The project would gather maps, photos and stories of qanats and the people who kept them, and ask what their principles could mean for irrigation today. It connects with Fin Garden, where spring water still flows by gravity, and with the windcatchers and water systems of Yazd.
How to help
Share a qanat you know in the Innovation Hub, or volunteer to help build the map.