Ever wondered how Angkor, a city of nearly a million people, thrived centuries ago? It is all thanks to the incredible water passage Angkor period. The Khmer people had an intimate relationship with water. Their empire’s thirst for water grew alongside its population.
Imagine this sprawling network regulating floods. Picture it irrigating agriculture. Damian Evans called it one of the preindustrial world’s greatest engineering feats. This network had three parts. An upstream system diverted water. Canals and dams channeled water toward Angkor. A central system stored water in temple moats. Vast reservoirs called barays held water too. A downstream system dispersed stored water. Canals radiated outward.
Bernard-Phillip Groslier recognized Angkor as the Hydraulic City. The city was organized around a water management network. Researchers only understood its function recently though. Khmer people have lived with water for centuries. Water management was basic knowledge. People didn’t write about it. Researchers discovered how it functions by talking to local people. They learned about memories passed down generations.
Consider the Siem Reap River. It plays an important role in the Angkor plain. The ancient Khmers carved it with a Thousand Lingas. This was done in the riverbeds of Mount Kulen and Kbal Spean. Here the rivers source before flowing into Siem Reap. The water flowing from the Thousand Lingas became sacred. It has been used in Khmer Kingdom ceremonies since the 9th century. During coronations, the sacred water of Mount Kulen blesses the future King. People still believe in its power today. They use it to cure diseases. They also use it in blessings for good luck. This underlines the need to protect water resources. It maintains the sustainability of this essential resource.
Before temple construction, natural soil was removed. It was replaced with sand. Water made it load-bearing. This sand layer linked to the groundwater. Moats surrounded each temple. They collect runoff water during monsoons. This recharges the sand layer underneath.
The Khmers saw water as lifeblood. It was the basis for a belief system. People were more likely to care for the water system then. Moats became oceans in Khmer tradition. Temples became Mount Meru. This was the dwelling of the gods.
The ancient Khmer collected water during the rainy season. They built reservoirs. They also built moats and ponds. Man-made canals channeled water. Spillways redirected the natural flow. The Bampenh Reach spillway is a good example. It supplied water to the city. It also prevented flooding. It sent water to the Pourk and Siem Reap rivers. During the dry season, water went only to the Siem Reap River. In the rainy season, water flowed to both rivers. This shows an automated water management system. Excess water was stored in basins and reservoirs.
The Jayatataka North Baray held millions of cubic meters of water. King Javaraman VII built it in the 12th century. A network of dykes and canals collected runoff water. This raised the water level. The dyke and canal system starts at the northwest dyke. It turns four times. Then it runs north to the Kulen mountain chain.
The Angkor Park sits between the Kulen mountain range and the Tonle Sap Lake. The city could have flooded during rainy seasons. But ancient texts mention neither floods nor droughts. The water management system optimized water resources.
The Bampenh Reach spillway was built following the waterflow’s curve. This reduced turbulence and erosion. Vertical grooves interlocked the blocks. This formed huge solid sections.
In 2012, an ancient canal and dykes were renovated. Angkor and Siem Reap City avoided flooding. The ancient Angkor hydraulic system can prevent flooding. Local people had inter-generational knowledge. This helped researchers understand the system.
Rehabilitating these systems helps conserve heritage. It allows the system to function again. It manages challenges from droughts and floods. In Angkor’s era of prosperity, it had an efficient hydraulic engineering system. It is a model of conservation. It is a sustainable contribution to the region’s development.