Bukhara’s water legacy: ancient desert engineering meets modern climate resilience

euronews (in English)

Bukhara’s water legacy: ancient desert engineering meets modern climate resilience  In this episode of Silk Road Adventures, we explore how Bukhara’s ancient water systems still shape life today, as a city in the desert adapts to the challenges of climate change.  In partnership with Agency of Information and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/05/20/bukharas-water-legacy-ancient-desert-engineering-meets-modern-climate-resilience  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00Bukhara is the only source of water sources here.

00:07Bukhara is the center of trade, irrigation and education.

00:13Just imagine, this was one of the only water sources here.

00:18Bukhara is the center of trade, irrigation and education.

00:24Bukhara in Uzbekistan has been a cultural and commercial crossroads for over 2,500 years.

00:37A central point on the ancient Silk Road, to this day the city's markets are alive with trade.

00:44But if trade was its heart, water was its lifeblood.

00:48A natural oasis, Bukhara's very survival depended on a reliable water supply.

00:54An ingenious network of canals and reservoirs called Uz made this possible.

00:59I'm meeting up with Anbar to find out more.

01:02Anbar, how was water transported and stored in Bukhara in ancient times?

01:07Even though it's no longer a water source, Libyoz remains a vibrant place for people to gather.

01:32Bukhara was built in more than 100 houses.

01:37It was built by Bukhara's water.

01:39And in the evening, this place was to rest for people.

01:44They came here to rest.

01:51Bounded by desert, Bukhara's fate has always been tied to its ability to access water.

01:56In the face of changing climate patterns, that need is more critical than ever.

02:01In response, several schools in the region have recently upgraded their water systems

02:06to improve well-being and build long-term resilience.

02:10Nadir, tell me about the system and how it works.

02:13Our system of cleaning water from 160 meters

02:16cleanses the artisan water up to 5 meters.

02:19The school needs three cubic meters.

02:21But if it's more, our system can clean water up to 12 cubic meters.

02:26The project has led to the installation of communal taps like this one,

02:32giving students and local residents access to clean water.

02:38Teachers say the new system has transformed daily life at the school,

02:41making things easier for students and staff.

02:44how has the project made a difference?

02:53While the modernization of the region's school water facilities is new, the method is not.

02:59While the modernization of the region's school water facilities is new, the method is not.

03:07For centuries, Bacarans have drawn water from deep underground.

03:11One of the city's oldest and most sacred sites is the Chasma Ayub Mausoleum.

03:17Legend has it that the biblical prophet, Jove, struck his staff on the arid ground here,

03:21miraculously causing water to burst forth.

03:24Pilgrims still come here to drink and collect the water, believed to have healing powers.

03:54If you have a car, you will come here to drink and collect the water, then you will come here to drink.

04:01Here it is.

04:13Let's have a go.

04:18It's okay. It's not too bad.

04:19Whether you believe the legend or not, one thing is clear.

04:26Bacarans' long relationship with water is still shaping both its present and future.

04:31Bacarans' long relationship with water, and in the same time, I hope, that we will deal with it,

04:42because we have a rich history of the heritage of the heritage of the city and areas of the water.

04:49a great joy.

04:55man

05:06tran Bora

05:08Man

05:12Man

05:14Man

05:15Man

05:16Man

05:17Man

05:18Man

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