Traditional Water Harvesting Systems In Climate Change Adaptation: Insights From A Semi-Arid Mediterranean Village

Network (2019) confirms this trend and predicts an escalation of temperature rise in the region, more intense and frequent heat waves and variably reduced precipitation patterns.Future projections based on the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 climate scenarios and regional climate models indicate that parts of the Mediterranean could move into a semi-arid climate zone (Bsh), further underlining the region's vulnerability to 'aridification' (Barredo etal.2018).In the case of Trkiye, climate change is exerting a significant impact on settlements located along the west and south coasts, the regions bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea (Gedikli, 2018).Since the Mediterranean region includes developed nations with high water demands in sectors such as agriculture and tourism, dependence on large-scale and complex water supply systems is increasing.These predominantly groundwater-based systems are not sustainable in the long term (Schwartz and Ibaraki,2011).It is therefore essential for climate change scenarios to look for alternative water resources such as seawater desalination.However, due to the high energy consumption and high costs, these alternatives are considered unsustainable (Ruiz Martnez and Cornejo Tueros,2022).In this sense, the integration of indigenous knowledge into development practice, the combination of modern water systems and traditional WH methods or the modernization of existing WH knowledge have come to the fore (Akpinar-Ferrand and Cecunjanin, 2014; Zhou W. et.al.2024).However, comprehensive research on WH practices in the Mediterranean lags behind that of other arid regions, like North Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, and India, where such practices have been extensively documented for millennia (Prinz,1996; Oweis et.al.2004).Despite Trkiye and its Aegean areas' critical significance in the Mediterranean, detailed assessments of WHS remain scarce (Ruiz Martnez and Cornejo Tueros,2022).Acknowledging the significance of climate change impacts and the distinctive features of the region, there is need for more targeted research within the Mediterranean context, which has not been explored to the same extent as these other regions.Additionally, seminal reviews indicate that existing literature revolve around two aspects of WHSs; their potential use in modern society and their significance as cultural heritage (Zhou et al., 2023).First category covers issues such as system components, construction materials, water quantity and quality for domestic use, and optimality (