Sustainable and Regenerative Development of Water Mills as an Example of Agricultural Technologies for Small Farms

verfasst von

Andreas N. Angelakis, Mohammad Valipour, Jörg Dietrich, Konstantinos Voudouris, Rohitashw Kumar, Miquel Salgot, Seyed Ali Mahmoudian, Anatoli Rontogianni, Tsoutsos Theocharis

Abstract

Nowadays, the reuse of built agricultural/industrial heritage has been a common practice worldwide. These structures represent excellent symbols of the great agricultural/industrial past. These agricultural/hydro-technologies also serve as monuments of socio-cultural identities, especially in rural areas and on small farms. One example of a successful application of agricultural technologies for small farms is the water mill. By harnessing the water energy, they were used for traditional flour and other goods production (e.g., olive oil) and works requiring energy, with the main role in the evolution of the traditional/cultural landscape. Water mills have been used to drive a mechanical process of milling, hammering, and rolling and are a portion of the agricultural, cultural, and industrial heritage. For approximately two millennia, the vertical mill water wheel prepared the initial source of mechanical power in many regions of the world. Water mills were the first device that converted natural resources of energy into mechanical energy in order to operate some form of machinery. The preservation/management of water mills is challenging due to their long-term abandonment and the lack of information/knowledge about their value. The other obstacles that are faced in their retrofitting and/or preservation are the lack of sufficient economic incentives and complex authorizations/legislations. Sustainability and regeneration of water mills through the centuries are then reviewed for history and agricultural/industrial “archaeology”. The history of water-powered mills in prehistoric and historic times, including ancient Persia/Iran, ancient China, ancient India, the Islamic world, Venetian Crete, medieval Europe, America, and finally present times, is discussed. The outcome of this review allows the understanding of the importance of conservation, optimization, and development of water mills. It will help to know more and achieve sustainable/regenerative development for small farms with respect to water and energy crises at present and in the future.

Organisationseinheit(en)

Institut für Hydrologie und Wasserwirtschaft

Externe Organisation(en)

Hellenic Agricultural Organisation (HAO-DEMETER)
Hellenic Union of Municipal Enterprises for Water Supply and Sewage (EDEYA)
Kentucky State University (KSU)
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (A.U.Th.)
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir
Universitat de Barcelona
National Water and Wastewater Engineering Company (NWW)
Technical University of Crete

Typ

Übersichtsarbeit

Journal

Water (Switzerland)

Band

14

ISSN

2073-4441

Publikationsdatum

18.05.2022

Publikationsstatus

Veröffentlicht

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Geografie, Planung und Entwicklung, Biochemie, Aquatische Wissenschaften, Gewässerkunde und -technologie

Fachgebiet (basierend auf ÖFOS 2012)

Wasserkraftanlagenbau

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

SDG 7 – Erschwingliche und saubere Energie

Elektronische Version(en)

https://doi.org/10.3390/w14101621 (Zugang: Offen)