Ibri 25-26 January 2016

Sustainability of the Omani Aflaj Abdullah Al-Ghafri

The University of Nizwa, Oman

Falaj systems

Aflaj are complex, common-pool farming communities that depend on maintaining the balance between several spheres of influence.

In order to have survived and thrived for thousands of years, Aflaj communities have had to constantly adapt to assure the longevity of these interdependent systems.

Falaj

Environment

Technology

Human

Sustainability of falaj system

Falaj system Inherited system

Adaptation

Stable system

Environmental Human

Some aflaj are more than 2500 years old

Sustaining aflaj = sustaining life

Key factors of Aflaj Sustainability

• Continues adaptation to social and environmental changes: maintenance, water rights adjustments…

• Water market

• Gray water use

• Recycling resources: Soil, nutrients

• Organic farming

• Increase land productivity: multi cropping with carefully selected crops

• Crop rotations

• Social solidarity

• Peaceful coexistence between races and religions

• Choosing date palm as the principal crop

• Flexible land use

The Falaj System: “Cash” flow

Water market Agriculture: Products market

Domestic

The Water supply

+ Donations +

Source Conveyance

Management

Money supply

Agriculture

Water utilization

Revenue

Wages

Characteristics of water rights

• Owned life time

• Can be sold, leased or rented

• Separated from land

• All leasing, renting or selling are registered in legal way and recognized at country level

• Government has no influence on the water market, it is done at falaj level and the price depend on flow rate, agricultural seasons and number of participants

• Auction is done weekly, monthly, every three months or yearly

Types of water rights

• Free

• Private

• Community service

• Charity

• The ratio of each type depend on falaj type, size and other social factors

Free water rights

• Free to all the village members and visitors

• Human basic needs

– Drinking

– Cooking

– Washing

– Etc

• Watering animals

Private water rights

• Owned by individuals or families

• Most dominant

• The total percentage is fixed but the allocation is dynamic

– Fixed with land:

• Should be sold with the land. Not for rent.

– Not fixed with a land:

• Can be sold or rented separately

Service water rights

• Devoted for community service:

– Falaj structure maintenance

– Wages of the falaj administration and workforce

• Can not be sold. It is for auction only

• The ratio and allocation is fixed

Charity water rights (waqf)

• Devoted for charity:

– Mosques services

– Schools

– Care of orphans

• Can not be sold but rented

• Increase by time, depending on donations

• Now, it is controlled by the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs

Water rights in Falaj AL-Hageer

2 5

8 8 9 9 9 9 10 10

14 15 16

24

11

15 18

24

34

38

48

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Fa

laj

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

Athars

0

10

20

30

40

50

60 Athars

1st irrigation 2 5 8 8 9 9 9 9 10 10 7 14 15 7 16 11 24 10 10 14 2

2nd irrigation 4 8 7 14 24 24 22

3d irrigation 24 Owners

Dawran = 7 days =336 Athars

Service

4.5%

Private

95.5% 321

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Water efficiency/gray water use

• Another sustainable aspect of Aflaj system involves the gray water aspects of how Aflaj water is used.

Drinking

Mosques and forts

Men bath

Women bath

Washing

Seasonal crops

Drain

Date palms and trees

Domestic

Agricultural

Water Source

Falaj Maintenance

Falaj Al-Khaoud, October 2008

A. Al-Ghafri, 2007

Falaj Daris, October 2006

Date palm is the major crop: Date palm is chosen. (90% of irrigated area).

• Perennial crop.

• Salinity tolerant.

• Drought tolerant.

• Wide range of climates.

• High productivity.

• Wide range of utilizations:

• Food.

• Shade.

• Animal feed.

• Energy source.

• Wood for construction.

• Raw materials for furniture.

Al-Hageer, May 1996

Harat Al-Siybani, Falaj AL-Khutmain. 2012

Products of Aflaj used in buildings

A. Al-Ghafri, 2007

Water security

• This is especially important in Oman as well as other countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Southwest Asia, where the overuse of aquifers, increased demand and climate change have pushed domestic water security to brink.

• Aflaj communities have shown that many systems can last centuries even millennium without taking more than the environment provides and with efficient use of land.

• Therefore, Aflaj must be considered Omans only indigenous, naturally occurring, sustainable supply of irrigation water that is in harmony with the environment.

• In contrast, Aflaj depend on relatively modest investments of money and are not vulnerable to dynamic factors that could destabilize food production and trade drastically within a short period of time.

• Thinking sustainable then Oman must invest in its 1000’s of Aflaj as they can pay a vital role in the general well being of Omanis and national security.

Gravitational pull

• By design Aflaj work in synchronicity with the environment. They work by gravitational pull and direct relation to existing water tables and recharge rates. For this Aflaj do not over exploit water supplies in the same way that mechanical pumping often does.

• While relief wells, damming efforts, and secondary water supplies used to maximize Aflaj production. Aflaj must be viewed from with a sustainable context and planned carefully the base flow of Aflaj systems which are sustainable.

Water efficiency/Multi cropping/New Irrigation techniques

• The Aflaj institution of flood irrigation can also be viewed as a

sustainable practice as it maximizes the efficiency of water use in

several ways.

• First through intercropping multiple crops can be grown in high

density manner, increasing the land productivity per square meter,

with each crop aiding the other. For example date palms, not only

produce dates and provide shade but also serve as windbreaks

and micro-climate conditioner for crops like banana and papaya

as nitrogen fixing crops like sorghum and legumes assist date

production while enjoining the protection of the dates.

• This aspect of water use efficiency is particularly important as

modifications, such as drip irrigation are explored to combat

evaporation rate and maximize water use efficiency. Trade off

between these irrigation measures are likely and as such

investigation is needed to assist farmers to make the correct

choices.

Increasing land productivity

Al-Mudhaibi, Feb. 2011

Soil recharge/nutrient cycle

• Aflaj communities are also sustainable through the complex nutrient cycles found through the system. For example, dates burned at the end of their usefulness and nitrogen fixing crops have assisted the soil in Aflaj communities to remain nutrient rich after centuries of use.

• Another important variable in soil health involves the transportation nutrients through water supply and the geo-chemical and organic-chemical interactions throughout the system.

Organic farming

• Hence traditional Aflaj are organic agricultural systems, which relates to sustainability and environmental health as pesticides have been linked to several health hazards.

• Inorganic fertilizers rationally is not applied, instead Aflaj build off and taking advantage of the nutrient cycle described previously, organic fertilizers such as dried fish and manure have been employed by Aflaj farmers.

• NPK rates were maintained and managed naturally rather than through the use of artificial fertilizers.

Circulation of resources and nutrients in falaj system

Agriculture Village

Food

Manure

Equity/common pool

• One of the most important aspects of sustainable regarding Aflaj is social aspects of water division which provides for water to be divided on a relatively high level of equity.

• As a common pool resource with complex traditional management techniques, water not usually manipulated by an individual as in the case of well. This bond allows for a more equal distribution of output and return as well as stress on community cohesion over conflict.

Threats/needs

• Even though they are sustainable, Aflaj are under stress. Over pumping from competing wells, socio-economic pressures and climate change are impacting many Aflaj in adverse ways.

• However, these threats do not mean that Aflaj are relicts of past doomed to fail. Rather it is simply means that Omani Aflaj need protection, cost effective proper maintenance, strategies, better market options and multidisciplinary research approach.

Religious reference books and monographs

• We looked to religious manuscripts as a religious resource only, however it contains valuable information and data for many research disciplines.

Information and data from these books

• Legal material on: – Protecting water sources

– Reduce water pollution

– Regulating water use

– Insure equality in water distribution

– User-user relations

– User-community relations

– User-state relations

– Community-community relations

– Community-state relations

– Records of water and land disputes and solutions

• Information on: – Water and land use

– Records of history of water management and aflaj

– Technical information on traditional irrigation and farming techniques

Conclusions

• In conclusion, Aflaj are not just artifacts or relicts of Oman Past.

• Although an integral part of Oman heritage and an example of core sustainable values in Oman past, they should be regarded as living, breathing communities capable of producing locally grown food and playing a vital roe in Oman food/water security.

• They are Oman’s only naturally occurring sustainable water supply and should be protected.

• Significant work needs to go in to retaining the potential for Omani Aflaj from within Oman food/water security frame work. As well as to assist these systems to meet the challenges of the 21st century and to integrate the ideas from both traditional wisdom and modern approaches.

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Thank you for your attention!