Modern Use of Traditional Rainwater Harvesting Practices: An Assessment of Cisterns’ Water Supply Potential in West Mani, Greece

Abstract

Water has always been a driver of human civilization. The first human civilizations thrived in places with an abundance of water, typically nearby large rivers as the Tigris–Euphrates, Yang Che and Nile. The invention and construction of hydraulic infrastructure came only later, in prehistoric times, triggered by the expansion of humanity in water-scarce areas. The ancient Greeks invented impressive hydraulic works and small-scale structures, some of which, such as cisterns, were still fully operational until the 20th century. We present a model that explains the use of cisterns in the water-scarce area of West Mani, which allows us to assess the potential of this traditional rainfall harvesting practice to support the modern water supply needs. To assess the system’s reliability, we employ a long-term simulation of a typical cistern system, using synthetic rainfall series from a stochastic model, and assuming variable water demand on a monthly scale. We show that a proper restoration of the cisterns could be sustainable as a complementary water supply source, decreasing the area’s drinking water cost and increasing the locals’ resilience against water shortages. In addition, we highlight the links between the area’s hydroclimate and its history and discuss the cultural merits of reviving and preserving this ancient, long practice.

Stochastic Evaluation of the Investment Risk by the Scale of Water Infrastructures—Case Study: The Municipality of West Mani (Greece)

“…The problem of the water supply system of West Mani has been analyzed in previous studies [77,78], whereas here, many different solutions, and in different scales, complexity, footprint, and approach, were considered. The diversity of the solutions, the intimate knowledge of the area, and, most of all, the complexity of the geography serve as an excellent case study to assess the investment risk of water infrastructures from the engineering viewpoint.…”

Selection Frameworks for Potential Rainwater Harvesting Sites in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions: A Systematic Literature Review

“…The growth in interest in this area of research over the last 3 years or so is also evident. The country with the most publications related to RWH site selection was Iraq (12), followed by Iran (8), Egypt (7), Jordon (6), and Saudi Arabia (5); see Figure 6. The country with the most publications related to RWH site selection was Iraq ( 12), followed by Iran (8), Egypt (7), Jordon (6), and Saudi Arabia (5); see Figure 6.…”

“…[105] Literature 1-The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used for weights output. 2-The range of suitability (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10) gives flexibility in choices. 3-The weights of the criteria were based on the literature.…”

“…In addition, the ancient Greeks demonstrated remarkable ingenuity in the advancement of hydraulic infrastructure and small-scale constructions. Notably, certain examples, such as cisterns, have maintained their full functionality even up until the 20th century [8] and are being used to address the water crises currently occurring in regions of central and eastern Greece. Losses such as evaporation from these cisterns are negligible due to their underground construction [8,9].…”

The role of technology in the water–energy–food nexus. A case study: Kerinthos, North Euboea, Greece

“…The foundation of civilization can be traced back to the agricultural revolution in the 10th millennium B.C. During this period, people recognized the significance of the WEF nexus and understood that increased water supply (via irrigation) and energy (utilizing animals) led to higher food production, allowing more people to be sustained with less land (Coughenour et al, 1985;Singh et al, 2002;Schnepf, 2004;Smil, 2004a,b;Canakci et al, 2005;Davis and Hatfield, 2007;Jean-Richard et al, 2015;Jiang et al, 2019;Smith, 2019;Iliopoulou et al, 2022).…”