From the Saqiya in the countryside, to a resource hydrant in the city

Abstract

The Saqiya, a water-raising device powered by animals, has fallen into disuse. But in the city's historic neighbourhoods, Alfama in particular, spring water was once used in fountains and leather factories. It was only at the end of the 20th century that State Water Companies emerged with the purpose of managing water and then, at the beginning of the 21st century, concerns about the consequences of human activity on the planet led the United Nations to create the Roadmap for Carbon Neutrality 2050. In Portugal this was translated into the National Energy and Climate Plan 2030. Water resources are in a worrying state, as discussed at United Nations conferences in 2023 and 2024. All controlled efforts to preserve and take advantage of them are valuable to humanity. In neighbourhoods like Alfama, the interconnection between technology and ancestral wisdom in accessing groundwater could be an alternative water resource, especially for firefighting. This would reduce the risks resulting from the inadequacy of the public network when an incident occurs.