Iranian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage.

Water scarcity, as well as, insufficient precipitation in our country has made the responsible Iranians challenge the technical, institutional, environmental, and social issues to establish sustainable water and Irrigation development and management in arid and semi-arid regions of Iran. Indeed, the history of water supply, Irrigation, and drainage in Iran reveals how the relevant structures have played their important roles in forming, flourishing and development of civilizations. There are over 30,000 ancient, Qanats, as well as, thousands of water structures such as weirs, benchings, bed groins, water reservoirs, water-mills, traditional baths, etc many of which are still under operation. Water and Irrigation Techniques of Iranian in ancient time and the relevant services to the nation are admirable. Analyzing their experiences,we realize how the civilization of Ancient Iran affected on the civilization of the other nations and on the modern sciences & technologies. Of course, we shouldn’t expect the old and new ideas to be the same, as the basis of modern sciences and technology lies on broad and extensive investigations and experiences of all the developed nations during the recent centuries. Comparing the old sciences with the new ones, we respect and are proud of our ancestors, because they solved their difficulties without having the present facilities and equipment. I really appreciate Mr. Mahmoud Meschi & Mr. Majid Labbaf Khaneiki for the translation, as well as, I am thankful to Mr. Mehrzad Ehsani & Mr. Enayat Sabeti for the arrangement and publication of this priceless work.