[asabil]

Yes, throughout Morocco’s south east you will find what’s called khettaras (خطارة). They are underground irrigation network that was used to transport water from the Atlas Mountains to regions about 300km away.They were in used until the late 80s as far as I know.

[tough]

Wow fascinating, do you have any idea why they stopped being used? Cynical me says to earn some kickback money for building new industrial pipes..

[lifeisstillgood]

It seems to me that the acequia are an open and distributed technology, so even when the central authority collapsed, each individual community was able to keep the services running based on that technology, for over a thousand years.

Modern irrigation is incredible, modern cities are amazing, modern software connects most humans on the planet. But ... we can learn.

[asabil]

That was the exact same with the khettaras, they were built and Maintained by the communities.

Talking about notion of a central authority that provides governance is an anachronism in the context of North Africa. But that’s a separate discussion.

[LargoLasskhyfv]

You mean like this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Man-Made_River

[zeristor]

No like this, Qanat:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qanat

[LargoLasskhyfv]

I answered to the "cynincal me" part of tough (industrial, kickback, etc) ;-)

[asabil]

Droughts, there is simply not as much water as there used to be :(