Indigenous Knowledge of Darband and Kashband, household economic unit in Bashagard area, Hormozgan province, Iran

Today, attention to indigenous knowledge in the field of water and soil has great importance due to its special functions, high compatibility, and ability to maintain ecological balance and promote popular participation. Since the ancient times, people of Hormozgan province have used different ways of utilizing water and soil resources and harvesting rainwater, due to the climate limitation that exist in this area. One of the most prominent examples are the Darband and Kashband structures in the eastern parts of Hormozgan province. Today, these structures are referred to as household economic units in the Bashagard region of Hormozgan. Darband and Kashband are indigenous structures of watershed management in Hormozgan province. These types of structures are made in mountainous areas by natives of the region to create a cultivation area. In the local legal system, the streams and green valleys created by Darband and Kashband have a certain owner. Darbands are constructed as short transverse check dams perpendicular to the flow of water, with a height of approximately 1 to 1.5 meters. Increasing the height of these structures is possible after sedimentation and planting in the following years. The result of Kashband construction is the creation of new lands and suitable cultivation beds on the margins of rivers, along with maintaining soil moisture. This method increases soil moisture and plant growth. Mostly, Darbands and Kashbands are made with rocky materials without cement. However, Darbands with a height of 2.5 to 3 meters are made with rock and cement. The most important agricultural products that are cultivated behind these structures are palm, garlic and citrus. Most of these structures exist in Bashagard region and also parts of the Minab region. Bashagard region includes basins of Jagin and Gabrik reservoir dams. According to available information, more than 4,000 structures (Darband and Kashband) were constructed in the Bashagard district. The results of this study show that this kind of indigenous knowledge has a very long history in the Bashagard area. Therefore, utilizing the economic capacity of the streams with the participation of the people can be very important as a native model in soil and water conservation and as a source of jobs for watershed residents.