The third meeting in the Women’s Institute’s series of specialized water-related sessions, titled **“Water Through History: From Ancestral Knowledge to Today’s Challenges,” was held virtually onTuesday, 30 June 2026**, from 20:00 to 22:00. The meeting was organized by the Women’s Institute and featured, Dr. Shima Kabiri, a researcher in water, environment, and tourism, who discussed historical experiences of water management in Iran and their connection to today’s water resource challenges.

At the beginning of her presentation, Dr. Kabiri referred to Iran’s climatic conditions and described the country as an arid and semi-arid land. She noted that water scarcity has always been part of Iran’s geographical reality. According to her, throughout history, Iranians developed creative solutions for managing water resources by relying on a deep understanding of climate and nature. Examples of this knowledge can be seen in qanats, water reservoirs, diversion dams, historical dams, watermills, and other water engineering structures.

Dr. Kabiri described the qanat as one of the most remarkable achievements of Iranian engineering. She emphasized that this structure made it possible to transfer groundwater to the surface without pumping and only through the force of gravity. Qanats played an important role in the formation of sustainable settlements, especially across the central plateau of Iran.

The meeting also introduced historical water structures and explored rain-seeking rituals and the cultural place of water in Iranian society. Referring to rituals such as “Chamcheh Khatoon,” Dr. Kabiri emphasized that water in Iranian culture has never been merely a natural resource. It has also held cultural, social, and spiritual significance.

Another part of the presentation focused on the current state of Iran’s water resources. Dr. Kabiri argued that today’s water crisis is caused less by the natural shortage of resources than by incorrect management decisions. She identified several major factors that have intensified the crisis, including the concentration of population and water-intensive industries in the central plateau, the uncontrolled expansion of agriculture, excessive groundwater extraction, and management based on political borders rather than watershed boundaries.

Dr. Kabiri also stressed the need to combine indigenous knowledge with modern technologies. She referred to solutions such as water recycling, the use of greywater, crop pattern reform, increasing permeable urban surfaces, and strengthening public participation. She stated that the future of water management in Iran requires a “return to wisdom,” meaning the use of valuable historical experience alongside contemporary knowledge.

In the final part of the meeting, participants engaged in an interactive discussion and raised questions about the role of management in the water crisis, dam construction, water recycling, water-related tourism, and the place of women in water governance. In response, Dr. Kabiri emphasized the importance of decision-making based on the specific characteristics of each watershed. She also highlighted the effective role of public participation and women’s presence in decision-making and water governance processes.

The meeting concluded with a warm and constructive dialogue between the speaker and participants. It emphasized the importance of continuing such sessions to expand public dialogue, draw on indigenous knowledge, strengthen social participation, and develop practical solutions for the sustainable management of Iran’s water resources.