Examining the Role of Qanats in the Social Resilience of Rural Communities in Iran against Desertification

Abstract

Desertification and the neglect of Iran’s ancient qanat system threaten the viability of thousands of rural settlements. This paper investigates how active qanats bolster the social resilience of villages confronting chronic aridity. Guided by a socio-ecological resilience framework, the research adopts a mixed-methods strategy. Forty-five semi-structured interviews with farmers, mirābs and local officials were conducted in nine villages across Yazd and Kerman provinces. These qualitative data were triangulated with participatory mapping of qanat networks, Landsat-derived NDVI, a 1980--2023 precipitation series and census-level migration records. Comparative analysis shows that communities served by functioning qanats display ≈27 % greater livelihood diversification, ≈35 % lower youth out-migration and markedly stronger bonding- and bridging-social capital than neighbouring villages where qanats have collapsed or been replaced by deep mechanised wells. Respondents linked these advantages to equitable water-sharing rules, routine collective maintenance and the cultural authority of the mirāb institution, all of which cushion households during multi-year droughts. Nonetheless, unchecked groundwater pumping and energy subsidies are eroding these indigenous systems. Revitalising qanats and formally embedding their management principles into national water policy could therefore play a pivotal role in strengthening rural adaptation to desertification. The study enriches debates on community-based water governance and offers actionable insights for sustainable rural development in arid regions.