MUSCAT: The two countries are not only joined in friendship but share some similar heritage as well. In December 2020, we portrayed mountain farmers in Oman and Switzerland who talked about strikingly similar experiences.
This year, for World Water Day 2022, the Embassy of Switzerland in Oman has produced a short video on the similarities of traditional irrigation in the two countries. Even though Switzerland is famous as a country rich in water resources, there are some very dry regions, where agriculture would be difficult without an irrigation system.
Therefore, in the mountainous region of the Valais, farmers used a system called the “Bisse” which is very similar to an Omani Falaj. While most of the Bisses have disappeared, some farmers still use them today.
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In both countries, water is gathered high up in the mountains and transported through a system of canals to the fields. The Omani Aflaj and the Bisses of Switzerland are both centuries-old systems that allow farmers to grow crops in places that would otherwise be too dry for agriculture. Until today, this technique allows water to be transported over long distances without any use of resources such as fuels or electricity, where otherwise the use of deep wells or water pumps would be necessary. This helps to preserve the groundwater reserves and makes agriculture more sustainable. Additionally, the systems are an integral part of the community, as they are owned and cared for by the farmers of the villages themselves.
While five Aflaj in Oman are registered as UNESCO World Heritage (Al-Katmeen, Al-Malki, Daris, Al Jeela and Al-Muyasser), Switzerland’s Bisses have their own Museum in the canton of Valais: Le Musée des Bisses. So, when you are the next time in the mountains of Oman or Switzerland, follow one of the Aflaj or Bisses on a hike to explore their long tradition.
The new video on the Aflaj and Bisses has been published on the Embassy of Switzerland in Oman Instagram page: visit @SwissEmbassyOman or click here https://www.instagram.com/p/CbZ3cSrFSnb/
The video of Mountain Day 2020 that was published earlier https://www.instagram.com/p/CIp6f6FlQ0j/
