Kariz (Qanat or Roman Aqueduct) is an old knowledge that has been used in more than 35 countries. Kariz, previously recognized as a water management technology, involves horizontal subsurface galleries and vertical monitoring shafts, which works based on natural gravity force. This paper reviews various geoengineering and environmental impacts studies that have been carried out on Kariz networks during recent decades. Other emerging impacts of Kariz systems as an environmentally-friendly technology, its impacts on tourism attraction, land subsidence, and water management have been explored here. Due to modern lifestyle and demand for clean water as a result of population growth, especially in semi-arid or arid climates, this review study aims to explore the important role of Kariz system as a sustainable way of underground water management!
The Vazvan Kariz or ancient aqueduct is situated in the city of Vazvan in the Mime district of the Iranian province of Isfahan. This aqueduct is also one of the Iranian aqueducts that has been designated a world heritage site, by UNESCO.
The "Vazvan" Kariz is the only one with an underground dam's full architectural design, including seven valves. Dams are the finest way to store water in arid areas. Unquestionably, the Vazvan Kariz underground's dam, is one of Iran's aqueducts'/Karizeses' wonders.
There are two underground water ovens (locally called Kar or Koreh) at a point of the Vazvan aqueduct that is above the dam of the aqueduct, and after closing the water, these cracks, forty liters of water per second, the water stored behind the dam for 120 days is directed to the underground reservoirs, and after opening the valves installed in the dam, the stored water gradually flows back into the aqueduct. This is a point that can be mentioned about the Vazvan aqueduct The aqueduct channels behind the dam have a capacity of 3200 = 4 x 800 cubic meters and are 800 meters long, one meter broad, and four meters high.
Moreover, the water that is stored behind the dam is 414,720 cubic meters of water according to the equation, which is more than the capacity of the canals of the aqueduct, and the excess of 411,520 cubic meters of the capacity of the channels is stored in the underground reservoirs by the aforementioned water heaters and by opening the dam valves. , gradually enters the consumption cycle.
Geologically speaking, The Kariz is situated in a sedimentary-stone layer that has split into two layers over the course of many years as a result of the region's declining water level, one of which is 35 km long and 18.40 meters deep, as indicated by the appearance of an aqueduct, and whose depth is visible in the mother of the current well. In the mountain stone layer, the lower floor of the aqueduct is excavated from the water's surface to a height of 2 meters and 10 centimeters. The rough estimation shows that this Kariz was constructed about 3000 years ago, and the only one in the entire Isfahan region to store subsurface water in a subsurface dam!
From water management side, Based on research, this Kariz has been implemented in a very fascinating system that manages water between the first of December and the 25th/30th of April of the following year. This Kariz was registered as a UNESCO in 2016, Istanbul, considering its cultural, archaeological and technological point of views.
