History of Wells in Rashda Village,
Dakhla Oasis
Erina Iwasaki
Abstract The livelihood in an oasis depends on groundwater drawn from wells.
Hence, the oasis has a well-centred society determined by the nature of the well. In
the study village in Dakhla oasis, wells are classified into five types: government wells
(bir hukumi), local wells (bir ahli), investment wells (bir istithmari), surface springs
(‘ain sathi), and Roman springs (‘ain rumani). Their names imply a distinction
between springs (‘ain) and wells (bir). Different types of wells have different forms
of livelihoods. By focusing on the history of well drilling in the study village, this
chapter attempts to understand how the universal issue of the relationship between
humans and water changed with technological development.
Keywords Well · Drilling · Technology · Groundwater · History
1 Introduction
The livelihood in an oasis depends on groundwater drawn from wells. Hence, the
oasis has a well-centred society determined by the nature of the well. In other words,
the nature of the well determines the pattern of landholding, cultivation, and social
relations between the villagers.
This chapter examines the development of well drilling in Rashda village in
Dakhla Oasis. Rashda village is one of the villages in Dakhla Oasis and depends
on the Nubian Aquifer for their water resource, as do the other villages.
In Rashda, wells are classified into five types: government wells (bir hukumi),
local wells (bir ahli), investment wells (bir istithmari), surface springs (‘ain sathi),
and Roman springs (‘ain rumani). Their names imply a distinction between springs
(‘ain) and wells (bir). The villagers recognize water sources according to depth: i.e.,
they are called wells (bir) if the source must be tapped using a drill or ‘ain if the
water bubbles up naturally and only needs to be cleared from time to time. However,
with the disappearance of artesian wells, “‘ain” is now becoming a historical name.
E. Iwasaki (B)
Faculty of Foreign Studies, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: iwasaki@sophia.ac.jp
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Iwasaki et al. (eds.), Sustainable Water Solutions in the Western Desert,
Egypt: Dakhla Oasis, Earth and Environmental Sciences Library,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64005-7_12
203
Dakhla Oasis
Erina Iwasaki
Abstract The livelihood in an oasis depends on groundwater drawn from wells.
Hence, the oasis has a well-centred society determined by the nature of the well. In
the study village in Dakhla oasis, wells are classified into five types: government wells
(bir hukumi), local wells (bir ahli), investment wells (bir istithmari), surface springs
(‘ain sathi), and Roman springs (‘ain rumani). Their names imply a distinction
between springs (‘ain) and wells (bir). Different types of wells have different forms
of livelihoods. By focusing on the history of well drilling in the study village, this
chapter attempts to understand how the universal issue of the relationship between
humans and water changed with technological development.
Keywords Well · Drilling · Technology · Groundwater · History
1 Introduction
The livelihood in an oasis depends on groundwater drawn from wells. Hence, the
oasis has a well-centred society determined by the nature of the well. In other words,
the nature of the well determines the pattern of landholding, cultivation, and social
relations between the villagers.
This chapter examines the development of well drilling in Rashda village in
Dakhla Oasis. Rashda village is one of the villages in Dakhla Oasis and depends
on the Nubian Aquifer for their water resource, as do the other villages.
In Rashda, wells are classified into five types: government wells (bir hukumi),
local wells (bir ahli), investment wells (bir istithmari), surface springs (‘ain sathi),
and Roman springs (‘ain rumani). Their names imply a distinction between springs
(‘ain) and wells (bir). The villagers recognize water sources according to depth: i.e.,
they are called wells (bir) if the source must be tapped using a drill or ‘ain if the
water bubbles up naturally and only needs to be cleared from time to time. However,
with the disappearance of artesian wells, “‘ain” is now becoming a historical name.
E. Iwasaki (B)
Faculty of Foreign Studies, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan
e-mail: iwasaki@sophia.ac.jp
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Iwasaki et al. (eds.), Sustainable Water Solutions in the Western Desert,
Egypt: Dakhla Oasis, Earth and Environmental Sciences Library,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64005-7_12
203