Research Activities
Research Projects
Indigenous knowledge of water management in Central Asia(2022_1_40_008)
Outline
It is well known that the oasis-based nations of arid Central Asia depend entirely on irrigation systems. The modernization of these nations has sometimes caused severe environmental destruction, for example, the disappearance of the Aral Sea. The failure of modernization is partly due to the disregard or misunderstanding of indigenous knowledge regarding water management. It is assumed that indigenous water management was practiced for centuries and aimed to realize sustainability of water resources. The survey areas include the middle and lower Amu system that flowed into the erstwhile Aral Sea, and the middle and lower part of the Sir system including the Ferghana Valley, which is the most intensive agricultural area in Central Asia. The research project team members have previously worked in this field and are familiar with the historical and anthropological sources. However, the interdisciplinary nature of this research project demands a more sophisticated approach than merely collecting individual studies. Hence, the aim of this project is to construct a theoretical platform for conducting interdisciplinary studies before performing archival surveys, anthropological field surveys, and participant observations in the future.
Period
April 2022 - March 2023
Leader of the Research Project
Publications
Basic theory building project report