Page 14 - NYY Muscat Call 2022 April 24

the weather, pandemics, and other ad hoc events, without much strategy or resources to frame
outcomes in support of sustainability.

Oman is one among many countries in possession of yet little-known wonders. Its hinterland
of Jebel Shams and Jebel Akhdar feature wadis and rocky masses sculpted and shaped by

erosion. Many Aflaj canals dug since ancient times are still widely used to channel water for
growing roses and garlic, collect drinking water around distant oases and villages, and, near

prayer sites, ensure the ablution ritual of the faithful. This ancient water management system,

connected by the Aflaj network, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Located between Jebel Shams and Jebel Akhdar, al-Hamra near Al Hoota hosts one of the

largest cave systems in the world. References to mountains as a "safe haven" and "healthy"
for the Omani population follow development processes picked up in the recognition of

Misfah in the category of World’s best tourism villages, creating awareness of associated
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development opportunities. Meanwhile, new processes of heritage enhancement have come
about as the result of participatory tourist involvement. For instance, tourists’ approach to

rosewater production or garlic harvesting provoked imitative practices associated with

innovative forms of emotional involvement, where preservation of heritage gives way to
novel ways of linking the past, the present, and the future in support of enhanced value-

generation at both the individual and societal levels.

v) Valuing water

Children are enormously receptive but many meet with few chances to gain inspiration by
nature. A model workshop has been developed, tested, and fine-tuned through the

accumulated experience of experimental applications, across various geographical locations

and age groups. Originally launched at the National Museum of Oman, it draws on
methodology rooted in motivational interviewing and intuitive discovery-based learning. In

Muscat, the interest of 78-year-olds was captured by the Aflaj, from there extending via
personal connotations to reflection by the children individually as well as in groups, on the

value of water, locally and globally, today and in the future. The workshop series and

methodology were further advanced by “Valuing water” activities in schools in Germany,

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“World’s Best Tourism Village, Misfa and cross-border collaboration realizing the value of Cultural
Heritage”, by Husni al Abri, Smart Way, Muscat.

www.waterandhumanity.com 14