Puquios, qanats and springs: water managent in ancient Perú

Abstract

In this era marked by climate change, desertification and water stress, low-cost and high-efficiency alternative solutions are required to provide low-income rural communities with water, in order to satisfy their agricultural and domestic needs in harmony with their geographic reality. This study examines how agrarian societies of the Nasca culture faced these challenges in one of the most arid deserts in the world, and in the Andes of southern Perú, near the city of Cusco, in areas with intense rains, difficult geography and scarce cultivation lands. The objective is to understand, specifically, how water was obtained, stored and distributed, and what importance the use of underground and spring water had; likewise, the aim is to understand Perú’s potential in terms of underground waters. Specialized literature is reviewed to respond these questions and to explore how water management was carried out in these agrarian societies. It is also suggested that these techniques can be strengthened with cutting edge technology to improve the management of water resources, as part of the international effort to face climate change.