Revival of Indigenous Knowledge Traditional Harvesting of Agricultural Water (Cow Wells) in Iran, an Entrepreneurial Model

Abstract

Iranian peasants and farmers have long sought to devise and use appropriate methods to provide water for their cultivation by limiting water resources for agriculture. Studying the different traditional methods of water extraction in the central plateau of Iran, which faced with more serious limitations, can help to identify their indigenous knowledge in this regard. The prominence of the emergence of the knowledge of Iranian peasants worldwide indicates the maturity of Iranian civilization in this geography. Although, in some parts of Iran, with a little more detailed exploration and examination, clear examples of this kindcan be observed. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate and introduce one of the manifestations of indigenous knowledge of villagers of central plateau of Iran in water extraction for agriculture. The concept of cow-wells especially reasons, necessities and especially the characteristics of the knowledge contained therein can be a reflection of Iranian culture, civilization and knowledge in this arid region. The cow-wells of Haj Ibrahim in Varzaneh district in Isfahan township due to being in the driest part of the Iran and the constant exposure to drought on the one hand reflects the genius of Iranians in the past and also on the other hand, its revived by a farmer (Haj Ibrahim) indicated of adaptation of innovation for Iranian farmers' to takes advantage of its traditional cultural and economic and social benefits for achieve the sustainable development in this region. The use of entrepreneurial approaches, especially the creation of sustainable jobs in the field of tourism development for themselves and others can be one of the positive aspects of using such an approach in difficult conditions and water shortages in the region. Continuing to pay attention to traditional cultural heritage, and especially to the underlying knowledge base, along with the need to support not only the material but the spiritual revival of these traditions, may be the result and suggestion of the present study.

Keywords

• traditionalwater harvesting
• villagers
• farmers
• cow-wells
• varzaneh county