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The Evolution of Agricultural Drainage from the Earliest Times to the Present

Author

Listed:
  • Mohammad Valipour

    (Center of Excellence for Climate Change Research/Department of Meteorology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia)

  • Jens Krasilnikof

    (Department of History and Classical Studies, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark)

  • Stavros Yannopoulos

    (Faculty of Engineering, School of Rural and Surveying Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Rohitashw Kumar

    (College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, SKUAST-Kashmir, Srinagar 190025, India)

  • Jun Deng

    (Department of Water History Research, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Research Center on Flood and Drought Disaster Reduction of the Ministry of Water Resources, Beijing 100038, China)

  • Paolo Roccaro

    (Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy)

  • Larry Mays

    (School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA)

  • Mark E. Grismer

    (Departments of LAWR and Biological & Agricultural Engineering, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA)

  • Andreas N. Angelakis

    (Institute of Crete, National Foundation for Agricultural Research (N.AG.RE.F.), 71307 Iraklion and Hellenic Union of Municipal Enterprises for water Supply and Sewerage, 41222 Larissa, Greece)

Abstract

Agricultural developments require changes in land surface and subsurface hydraulic functions as protection from floods, reclamation of flooded land, irrigation, and drainage. Drainage of agricultural land has a long history and apparently traces back to the earliest civilizations of Mesopotamia and Iran before 4000 BC. In the Eastern Mediterranean, the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations developed techniques and strategies of drainage of agricultural lands from the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. After the collapse of the Aegean Bronze-age civilizations, society building and agricultural innovation in the archaic and Classical periods (ca. 800–300 BC) included successful attempts at controlling drainage and irrigation techniques. In addition, China, India, and Mesoamerica have extensive histories of drainage. The aim of this review paper is to trace the evolution of the main foundings on agricultural drainage technologies through the centuries until the present. This historical review reveals valuable insights into ancient hydraulic technologies as well as irrigation and drainage management that will help to find bright horizons for sustainable agriculture in future.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohammad Valipour & Jens Krasilnikof & Stavros Yannopoulos & Rohitashw Kumar & Jun Deng & Paolo Roccaro & Larry Mays & Mark E. Grismer & Andreas N. Angelakis, 2020. "The Evolution of Agricultural Drainage from the Earliest Times to the Present," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-30, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:1:p:416-:d:305441
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Carlsen, Ask Holm & Fensholt, Rasmus & Looms, Majken Caroline & Gominski, Dimitri & Stisen, Simon & Jepsen, Martin Rudbeck, 2024. "Systematic review of the detection of subsurface drainage systems in agricultural fields using remote sensing systems," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    3. Youngseok Song & Moojong Park, 2021. "A Study on the Development of Reduction Facilities’ Management Standards for Agricultural Drainage for Disaster Reduction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-15, August.
    4. Nicoleta Mihaela Doran & Roxana Maria Bădîrcea & Marius Dalian Doran, 2022. "Financing the Agri-Environmental Policy: Consequences on the Economic Growth and Environmental Quality in Romania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-15, October.
    5. Zhe Wu & Chenyao Guo & Haoyu Yang & Hang Li & Jingwei Wu, 2022. "Experimentally Based Numerical Simulation of the Influence of the Agricultural Subsurface Drainage Pipe Geometric Structure on Drainage Flow," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-19, December.

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