In the heart of Jordan, the Nabateans, a group of desert traders, thrived for centuries as they ruled over the region until around 300 AD. Their success came from their ability to trade luxury goods between the Roman Empire and their neighbors to the east. The region around Wadi Musa, where Petra is located, was attractive to the Nabateans because of its natural features such as winding canyons, high peaks and plateaus, and protected valleys. However, these same features also make it vulnerable to seasonal flooding and droughts.
For decades, archaeologists have studied how the Nabateans managed water in this challenging environment. They discovered that Nabatean engineers developed an intricate system of terraces and small dams to flood-proof ancient Petra. This system channeled water through ravines and canyons, with dams slowing down rushing water and channeling it into storage ponds. Terraces also helped soak up water and provided space for crops.
However, after the collapse of the Nabatean kingdom, this advanced water management system fell into disrepair. Even when Petra was rediscovered in the 20th century and developed as a tourist destination, the dams were overlooked. But now efforts are being made to revive and repair these ancient water management systems in Petra and other cultural heritage sites around the world as part of a project called Preserving Legacies. Funded by National Geographic Society’s Victoria Herrmann leads this initiative that aims to help communities protect their heritage sites from climate change impacts. By restoring these systems like those used by the Nabateans, these sites can better cope with changing climate conditions.
In conclusion, while natural disasters like flooding are commonplace in desert regions like Jordan’s Wadi Musa valley where Petra is located; however with proper planning and maintenance these risks can be minimized through innovative solutions like ancient irrigation systems that have been proven effective in preserving cultural heritage sites for generations to come.
The Preserving Legacies project aims at empowering local communities by providing them with knowledge on how best to manage their cultural heritage sites during climate change scenarios using local models created by geographers working closely with community leaders who know best about their unique environments.
