TUNNELLING AND WATER SUPPLY IN ISRAEL: 4000 YEARS OF HISTORY AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

摘要

Tunnelling for water projects has existed since the start of the 2nd millennium BC. Tunnels to springs were driven from inside city walls. Irrigation was also improved by tunnelling. Such systems were enhanced by the Israelites after their conquest of Canaan, and further developments took place in the Persian and Roman/Byzantine periods. Increased aridization due to global warming will make tunnelling a vital feature of Mediterranean water management in the future, to utilize aquifers and recharge reservoirs from floodwater and treated wastewater.