Water Sensitive Conservation And Planning Of Zháj?[??] Village,?nhu?,China

Many ancient villages in China were developed in close proximity to water and were established along rivers,lakes and other water bodies,due to a natural water supply,transportation,irrigation and drainage.The morphology of these ancient settlements and its traditional water systems was inseparable from the inherent patterns of the watershed.These ancient villages were planned according to traditional Feng Shui which has been used for thousands of years.The selected thesis site of Zháj?[??]village in Southern?nhu?[??]province in China,serves as an example of this form of human settlement and is still largely preserved.The ancient village was established on the convergences of three rivers with comprehensive water system,which forms the basis of the cultural and social life of the local community.Over time,traditional water systems based on the Feng Shui environmental model has been abandoned in favour of modern underground pipe systems.Ancient villages are living heritage sites and they are prone to future development.Many historical villages have undergone increased developments and mass tourism,which has contributed to increased pressure on the traditional drainage system,local environment and rivers.In recent years,ecological drainage systems based on Water Sensitive Urban Design(WSUD)have been developed in response to increased water related environmental issues.In view of the complexity and particular challenges of a living heritage site,one recognizes that the village cultural landscape will continue to evolve and importance lies in the conservation of the ancient water system,its rivers and local environment.This thesis does not propose to stop change;rather to re-establish balance and syncretism between the village and its watershed.Based on a comparative study between traditional and ecological drainage systems,contextual research of the ancient water system in Zháj? village,its local environment and related social aspects,international WSUD case studies and using Geographical Information Systems(GIS)as a support tool;a ‘water sensitive conservation framework for site analysis and to identify suitable areas for development and potential implementation of water treatment measures will be developed.