Arid and semi-arid regions of the world, including Iran, are facing an escalating water crisis, environmental degradation, and socio-economic vulnerability. Historically, local communities in these regions developed ingenious indigenous irrigation systems—such as qanats, houtaks, degars, ab-bandans, and khoshk—that were thoroughly adapted to the climatic and topographic conditions of their environments. These systems played a vital role not only in ensuring sustainable water supply for agriculture and domestic use but also in maintaining ecological balance, supporting biodiversity, and sustaining rural livelihoods.

However, in recent decades, multiple factors such as climate change, top-down centralized policies, erosion of customary water rights, weakening of participatory governance, and population migration have led to the neglect and destruction of these systems. The consequences have included severe groundwater depletion, land subsidence, ecological disruption, rural depopulation, and threats to migratory species and ecosystem resilience.

This study, using a narrative approach and qualitative analysis of historical records and field data, examines the structural, political, and socio-cultural causes behind the decline in indigenous irrigation systems. It emphasizes the need for policy reorientation toward community-based governance and local knowledge integration. Moreover, the paper provides an in-depth review of the structure, operational mechanisms, and functionality of each indigenous system, aiming to highlight their relevance and potential for revival in the face of contemporary environmental and hydrological challenges.

Reviving indigenous irrigation systems—grounded in traditional ecological knowledge and managed through inclusive, bottom-up governance—offers a promising strategy to mitigate water crises, reduce ecological damage, and promote sustainable development in arid and semi-arid environments.