Korea: Cheongsando irrigated terraces
In the sixteenth century, residents of the Cheongsando group of islands began using local stone to create a system of terraced rice fields irrigated by a unique, underground system. Faced with rocky, sandy soil and a scarcity of water, residents built the culverts as aqueducts that could both provide and drain away water. The Gudeuljang irrigated rice terraces are found throughout Cheongsando, a group of 14 islands covering about 43sq-km. Farmers from different paddies join efforts in a cooperative-style system to maintain the infrastructure and to make decisions about communal water use.
