Preliminary Map depicting the Intersections of Shared Water Basins in the Bilad Al Sham Region © 2024 The Water Commons Archives

The Water Commons Archives - Syria is a Research based Archival endeavor dedicated to the examination and preservation of histories concerning shared water basins and indigenous water practices as an open-source collection of primary and secondary materials that explores the intricate dimensions of water and its socio-cultural implications in Syria.

The archive features historical documents, detailed mapping records, and qualitative studies, collectively reflecting the histories of indigenous practices in Syria’s bordering water systems. These rivers, integral to the region's rural, economic, and societal fabric, have historically underpinned traditional water knowledge infrastructures that have sustained communities amidst times of drought and conflict.

The Water Commons Archives, in its essence, challenges conventional boundaries, both geographical and conceptual. The archive endeavors to transcend the limitations imposed by contemporary borders, which often inadequately reflect the natural hydrological divisions that define our perceptions of our watersheds. This approach advocates for a more holistic and ecologically nuanced perspective on water knowledge, one that acknowledges the interconnectedness of ecosystems and human communities beyond artificial demarcations. Moreover, the archive engages critically with the socio-political aspects of water, investigating how historical power structures and colonial legacies have influenced water rights and access. Amidst diverse historical underpinnings and instances, the Water Commons Archives invites scholars and practitioners to reconsider our perception of our water basins through spatial and transitional practices.

Each context-based repository provides a comprehensive outline of the contextual relevance of the water basin by combining historical accounts with Indigenous practices to determine the history of the basin. These archives are vital sources that bind traditional ecological knowledge and historical narratives in tandem with their unique historical and cultural contexts.

The archives offer thorough historical and photographic records that show the manner in which water practices shifted throughout time. They provide plant inventories that highlight the beneficial environmental impact of the flora connected to traditional water systems. The archiving methodology is also practice-based, providing an arranged framework for classifying and documenting material in connection to various techniques and their historical uses.

Al- Asi Repository - ارشيف العاصي

River Water Basin

Memory is established from places and images. . . A locus is a place easily grasped by memory. Images are forms, marks, or simulacra of what we wish to remember., we must place their images on definite loci. - The Art of Memory, Francis Yates