Sareh Moosavi - MLA, Shahid Beheshti University
Mahshad Meshksar - MA, Shiraz University
Negin Kohanim - BA, Shiraz University

Life in Iranian plateau has always depended on water due to geographical and climatic conditions. This has led to scattered habitants in the arenas of water. Located in a dry zone, Iran is a high plateau composed of mountains and deserts; thus, its rainfall average is less than 1/3 global average. Because of this difficult condition, Iranians always respected water and used the most creative methods of engineering to preserve the small available amount of water. Nevertheless, water can be considered as the most important developing factor in the history of the world. The city of Shiraz is located in the south Zagros Mountain in dry and semi-arid region of Iran. Shiraz is well-known for its green gardens and owes its greenness to optimum use of limited water resources. As access to water resources has been decreasing due to the city’s development, gardens and green spaces are in danger of destruction. In this article, we engage in the efficiency of traditional water supply systems by reviewing Shiraz water resources and old strategies. For this purpose, we start by studying historic documents and sources about formation of the city based on water supplies and the rise of gardens and their irrigations. Following, we proceed with an example of a water supply system called Maghsam-e Aala which is in fact a water distributor. The goal of determining this case study is to perceive and revive the traditional methods of water resources management and compare them with our techniques today. In addition, those methods can still have a place in planning for utilizing water resources.

Traditional water supply systems, Shiraz, Water distributor, Maghsam A'la