The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Afghanistan has announced that 16 qanats have been restored across the country with support from Japan.
In a message marking 75 years of cooperation between UNESCO and Japan on Thursday, August 6, the organization said the project has benefited 1,731 families.
UNESCO added that the restoration of the qanats has helped preserve Afghanistan’s living cultural heritage while supporting local communities.
The organization emphasized that culture survives through the people who protect and preserve it.
Qanats are traditional underground water supply systems in Afghanistan that have played a vital role for centuries in irrigating agricultural land and providing drinking water to local communities.
Many of these historic water systems have been damaged by decades of conflict, climate change, and a lack of financial resources.
