1) Qazvin Technical Tour (TT1) will be organized for registered participants (based on the number of applicants). The date will be May 5, 2007 (full day) and the tour will include a visit of Qazvin irrigation and drainage network (for PIM Conference).

Qazvin Plain Situation:
Qazvin Plain is located 120 kilometers on the west of Tehran with special status caused by the proximity to and from Tehran, Qazvin, Zanjan cities and Tehran-Tabriz railroad.

Qazvin Irrigation Network:
QIN is composed of 1000 kilometers of main, secondary, tertiary and quaternary canals which irrigate 85000 ha gross area. The mail canal inflow capacity is 30 cubic meters per second, with 3 cubic meters per second in the final outflow. QIN has been managed by the government since its establishment in 1991. By the same token, there have been various problems and insufficiencies.

The following procedure is adopted for transferring irrigation management to the actual utilizers of water resources:

1. in 1999, relevant to one of the secondary canals as a pilot, 12 Water Users Association (WUA) were established with the objective of assigning the management of the whole QIN secondary canals to the water users cooperatives in case of successful performance; however, the activities were not satisfactory.

2. In 2002, activities to establish WUA throughout QIN started and up to 2005, 185 entrepreneurial irrigation societies (EIS), 9 EIS unions and Qazvin EIS center were established to perform part of the function relevant to water allocation, maintenance and services.

3. In 2005, new extensive activities initiated to transfer irrigation management to QIN water Users Association aiming at improving and reconditioning of the irrigation network.

4. Effective measures have been taken to enhance WUAs to encourage people to participatory irrigation management (PIM). The participants will enjoy unforgettable opportunity to observe an example of the development process of sustainable PIM in a one-day technical tour.

For more information about the city of Qazvin Click Here

2) Yazd Technical Tour (TT2) will be organized for registered participants (based on the number of applicants). The date will be May 5, 2007 (full day) and the tour will include a visit of Historical Water Management Technologies of Yazd city (For History Seminar).

Yazd City Situation:
The historical city of Yazd is located in central Persian plateau on the way of the world Silk Road. The city is situated on 31.54 north latitude and 54.24 east longitude with average elevation of 1200 m above the sea level.

Discovering Historical but Very Advanced Water Management Technologies in Yazd
The average annual rainfall throughout the province is 65 mm which puts it in arid category. Since there is no permanent river in the province, water demand is supplied by underground water resources. A number of ancient networks of Qanats (subterranean canals) and wells were, and in some cases, are still used to supply water needs. Considering the insufficient water in this desert region, the residents practiced the most intelligent way for the withdrawal, preservation, conveyance and beneficial use of water. The applied a traditional hydraulic structure called "Qanat" in order to access the ground water. This technology is favorably harmonious with nature. There are still about 3000 active Qanats in Yazd.

To preserve and consume fresh water conveniently, our forefathers innovated highly reliable water reservoirs throughout the province as the only sources of portable water of citizens till fifty years ago.

Qanat with tens of kilometers length, as well as ceramic pipes were once the post predominant means of hydraulic technology in our land.

Payabs (passages cut in the ground to reach Qanat water), water mills and cold stores were the other invaluable traditional hydraulic structures in Yazd, benefiting from simple but the same time the most technical complexity.

For more information about the city of Yazd Click Here