BAHLĀ OASIS PAST & PRESENT be conducted on the structure and physical nature of the irrigation system. Bāhla’s two main aflaj, al-Maytha and Mahadath, are still bringing water into the oasis and irrigate the palm groves around al-ΚAqr (Fig. 4.26), but their productivity has declined drastically in recent years in part due to the following reasons: • sediment deposition which interrupts the water flow; • tunnel collapses, blockages and seepages in the channels; • over-exploitation of the resource by modern wells and high-yield pumping systems; • increased demand for water. By originally having access to an ample and constant water supply Bāhla oasis became a centre for agricultural produce, and the Ministry of Agriculture has estimated that in 2005 some 220.000 date palms grew within the Bāhla Wilayat. At present, however, over 30% of the date palms in
Bāhla Oasis are unproductive due to lack of care and water. A further staple of Bāhla’s agricultural landscape was the production of sugar cane and animal fodder, but here too a significant decline of productivity is noticeable as the import of refined sugar and meat products has effectively eliminated the market for local produce. The agricultural economy within the oasis as a whole has diminished in importance in recent years due to the erosion of self-sufficiency as the area has become more accessible to cheap imported produce from elsewhere in Oman and overseas. The aflaj system has been supplemented by modern wells and pumping,(which are less labour intensive). Within Bāhla over the last 30 years the nature of production has shifted towards subsistence agriculture for predominantly personal consumption. The increase in the range of employment opportunities in the service sector in government and the private sector has reduced the attractiveness of agriculture to young people. However, rampant unchecked building activity throughout the ancient palm groves is probably the single
Figure 3.9 Wādi Bāhla, surface finds
Figure 3.10 Wadi Bāhla, likely anthropogenic layer Figure 3.11 Wadi Bāhla as seen from West
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