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G-Wadi Meeting20-23 June 2011, Tehran-Iran

A short report on the Establishment of the International Center on Qanats & Historic

Hydraulic Structures (ICQHS)

Dr. Semsar YazdiDirector of ICQHS

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International conference on Qanat held in Yazd in May 2000

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•Recording Qanats with regard to important historical & Technical prominence as the world cultural Heritage

•Emphasizing the Establishment of an International Qanat Center in Iran

•Using of traditional & modern technologies aiming the rehabilitation & development of Qanats

•preparing certificate & atlas for the Qanats of the country

•Setting up the Syndicate for the Qanat practitioners & Qanat Masters

•Compilation of the local experts’ experiences

Declarations of the International Symposium on Qanat

9-12 May 2000, Yazd- Iran

Yazd Declaration:

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•Setting up the secretariat of the task force committee at the Yazd Regional Water authority

•Putting together the proposed report to UNESCO under the following title:“Detailed Proposal for the establishment of an International Center

on Qanat and Historic, Hydraulic Structures”

•Participation of the UNESCO representative in the task force committee

•Preparation of the report by the UNESCO representative

Setting up a task force committee

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Submission of the proposal at the 32nd session of

the general conference of UNESCO

Paris, October, 2003

THE CONTENT OF

THE APPROVAL:

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Signing Ceremony:Establishment of the International center on

Qanats and historic hydraulic structures(April 2005)

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Main missions of ICQHS:

Recognition, transfer of knowledge and experiences, promotion of information and capacities to all the aspects of Qanat technology and other historic hydraulic structures to fulfil sustainable development of water resources

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•Inaugurating the ICQHS’ building

•Designating the director of the center

•Setting up the Qanat website :www.qanat.info

Inauguration of ICQHS building August 14, 2006

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Structure of the International Center on

Qanats & Historic Hydraulic Structures

Government of I.R Iran UNESCO Other affected States

Governing Board of ICQHS

Secretariat

(Director of the Centre)

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Governing Board

China

Afghanistan

Japan

Iraq

Chairman

UNESCORepresentative

GB

Algeria

Ministry of Jahad Agriculture

Iraq

Algeria

Japan

UNESCORepresentative

RCUWM-Tehran

Syria Iraq

Algeria

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First Governing Board meeting of ICQHS:10th July 2008, Yazd-Iran

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Second Governing Board meeting of ICQHS :

23 November 2009, Yazd-Iran

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Third Governing Board meeting of ICQHS: 2nd October 2010, Yazd-Iran

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Acknowledgments