The Ancient Irrigation Systems of Oman; Misfat Al Abriyeen

Join Geoff as he tours the ancient falaj irrigation system of Misfat al Abriyeen, located deep within the Oman Mountains. This ingenious system has a long history, dating back to 500 AD or possibly earlier. It is an incredible example of human innovation and creativity.

Geoff walks the ancient irrigation system in the village of Misfah in the mountains of East Oman. The system, called a falaj, supports an old food forest with a date palm overstory, and it’s being fed out of natural spring.

What is a Falaj? It is a system where gravity channels water from underground sources to support agriculture and household use. In villages and towns, the management and distribution of water still depend on mutual understanding and community values.

Terraced gardens are full of productive plants. Tomatoes cascade over the edges. Lettuce, blue peas, and onions are growing on the tops of the terraces. Pomegranate, mango, cooking bananas, figs, and citrus are growing throughout the system of hidden terraces and water channels.
Frogs and fish dart around in the irrigation channels. A high elevation storage pond is used to release water to the main gardens, as well as act as local bathing pool. Vegetation from the system is pulled as forage for livestock (goats) which, in turn, provide fertility for vegetation.
Many of the original walls, mortared together with mud and straw, are still standing, and some have been repaired with modern concrete. The system has been adapted with modern means to handle floods by draining them into the wadi below when the water gets to be too much for the irrigation channels.

The system can be diversified a bit and fertility from the manure extended via high carbon composting additions, but it’s a highly functional, successful ancient irrigation method still working today. All of it was built first and foremost based off of where the water source is located.

We have the opportunity to learn and grow from systems like these, integrating modern technology and design to enhance our daily lives. By doing so, we would improve the efficiency and sustainability of our food systems, providing more nutritious, affordable, and accessible food for everyone while creating a beautiful environment at the same time.

This video is the second in a series where Geoff takes us on a journey through Oman’s ancient water harvesting and irrigation systems. To follow his adventure, watch the following videos:

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► And most importantly, enjoy your permaculture journey!

About Geoff:

Geoff is a world-renowned permaculture consultant, designer, and teacher that has established demonstration sites that function as education centers in all the world's major climates. Geoff has dedicated his life to spreading permaculture design across the globe and inspiring people to take care of the earth, each other and to return the surplus.

About Permaculture:

Permaculture integrates land, resources, people, and the environment through mutually beneficial synergies – imitating the no-waste, closed-loop systems seen in diverse natural systems. Permaculture applies holistic solutions that are applicable in rural and urban contexts and at any scale. It is a multidisciplinary toolbox including agriculture, water harvesting and hydrology, energy, natural building, forestry, waste management, animal systems, aquaculture, appropriate technology, economics, and community development.

#water #desert #foodforest

[chronicfatiguehermithiker]

It massive! I wish desert projects would become a modern obsession 🤗.

[DimitriZaros]

Where it got noisy at that water stream I was amazed. Natural energized water!

[esrcornwell]

The hanging gardens of Oman! Just beautiful!

[one_field]

Imagine being able to inherit such an ancient system, curate and steward it into new productivity in your own lifetime, and pass it on intact and functional to your successors. What a great lineage of established infrastructure and appropriate technology. I wish we had such roots and connections, here on the East coast of the USA. Hopefully my generation will create such systems to pass on to the future.

Thanks for the video tour of such an amazing site! Very inspiring.

[beorntwit]

There's something so charming and beautiful about multistoried towns and villages built on slopes.

[qkowboy]

It’s heartwarming to see this! I’m Kuwaiti/half Omanin 🇴🇲, and my grandfather god rest his soul, has a farm in Ibri. I have never been there, and no one is taking care of it
My mom told me a story about this irrigation system and how she used to open it for the farm when she was a kid, and someone came from a neighbouring farm and got mad at her for opening it because it has turn and not our turn lil she knows since she was only visiting he figured knew she was the Kuwaiti living one and forgave her😂

[narikkirakinian]

This is awesome and smart work by our ancestors, and joyful to look at even on a screen.

[jeannamcgregor]

So incredibly sophisticated. We can learn so much from these people...here in California we need this.

[neens]

I love this series. Thank you for sharing it with us

[SuerteDelMolinoFarm]

Greetings from the LooseNatural farm in Andalusia Spain where we currently live through a drought and have prepared swales, waiting on the rain. Looks like a beautiful area you are in.

[kazzana]

Extraordinary. These ancient systems are wonderful.

[graemehibbard]

So awesome. I love videos like this Geoff. So inspiring. Obviously a healthy system with those frogs and fish swarming. Please post more videos. Thank you.

[desertblade]

Welcome Mr. Lawton to my country 😊...
Fun fact: some falaj water systems predates Islamic history and are still functioning with proper maintenance... The same systems are commonly found in most remote mountain villages through out Oman and UAE

[GratefulSlave.]

What a Design, and Innovation! Even Geoff must be impressed.

[iTeerRex]

What a magical place in the middle of nowhere.

[ninemoonplanet]

It took decades to put all this into place. Oman in my mind is a very arid land, how completely different to see this.
Possibility of adding compost and an understory planting to add value to the people and animals.

[edw]

So amazing. Pkease consider taking a drone to film it would be great to get the Birds Eye view

[bethra.flowers]

Amazing. Thank you for sharing this wonderful example.

[mishaguevara]

Namibia Africa is Full of places where this exact system would work perfectly.

[srantoniomatos]

Green lush garden in the desert are the closest thing to paradaise one can see. Tanks for sharing.