Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)

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Title Kunisaki Peninsula Usa Integrated Forestry, Agriculture and Fisheries System
Introduction The GIAHS in the Kunisaki Peninsula Usa area is a system where forestry and agricultural production are made possible and are sustain by the connected system of Sawtooth Oak forests and multiple interlinked irrigation ponds.
Start date 2013
Title Xianju Ancient Chinese Waxberry Composite System in Zhejiang Province
Introduction Xianju has a history of waxberry cultivation dating back more than 1,600 years and is known as one of the original areas of waxberry cultivation. The agricultural system connects waxberries and tea cultivation to chickens and bees’ breeding. Today, the site has accumulated a large number of ancient waxberry germplasm resources with a wide range of varieties.
Start date 2023
Title Hani Rice Terraces
Introduction The Hani Terrace System is a masterpiece of the Hani minorities, who have lived in the remarkable landscape for over 1,300 years. They utilize and manage local water resources in a unique, simple, economical and efficient manner. The indigenous agricultural technologies and their traditional customs show a harmonious relationship between human and nature.
Start date 2010
Title Biwa lake to land integrated system
Introduction The Biwa lake to land integrated system is centered on traditional inland water fisheries which have developed along with paddy agriculture that provides safe breeding grounds for spawning lake fish. For more than 1,000 years, the fishermen have been using and improving various types of passive fishing methods to catch migrating fish together with adapted social rules and local culture to ensure the sustainability of the natural resources.
Start date 2015
Title Kuancheng Traditional Chestnut Eco-Planting System in Hebei Province
Introduction Kuancheng is not only one of the origins of the chestnut tree and one of the first areas in China to cultivate chestnuts, but also one of the core areas for chestnut planting in the north of China. As far back as the Han Dynasty, chestnuts became the most important economic fruit tree that was cultivated in Kuancheng, and a traditional chestnut cultivation system based on a rational distribution of resources such as crops, medicinal materials, and poultry industries was gradually established.
Start date 2023
Title Tongling White Ginger Plantation System in Anhui Province
Introduction Tongling people have long cultivated an indigenous ginger species: the white ginger. Based on the difference in characteristics and growing environments between ginger and rice, local communities have developed unique ginger-cultivating practices. The whole system is combined with rice production and many specific cultural features.
Start date 2023
Title Qingyuan Forest-Mushroom Co-culture System in Zhejiang Province
Introduction It is an agroforestry system in the northern mountain area of Qingyuan County, focusing on sustainable forest management, development of the mushroom industry and cyclic use of resources. It is the birthplace of the Xianggu (also called shii-take, the scientific name is Lentinus edodes) cultivation technique and forest-mushroom co-culture.
Start date 2022
Title Qanat Irrigated Agricultural Heritage Systems, Kashan
Introduction Qanats are underground tunnels following aquifers in surrounding mountain areas to collect water from different layers of earth by relying only on gravity, developed since early 800BC. This system has contributed to food/livelihood security, biodiversity and enrichment of the landscape in the Kashan region which otherwise should have been a desert.
Start date 2014
Title Anxi Tieguanyin Tea Culture System
Introduction Tea production in Anxi was first born in the 18th century in southeastern Fujian where the most famous tea is Tieguanyin. Local farmers’ unique traditional practices guarantee the production of exceptional quality tea leaves. These legacies have ensured the long-term stability and sustainability of the ecological systems and communities´ livelihoods.
Start date 2022
Title Shexian Dryland Stone Terraced System
Introduction Shexian system is a rain-fed agricultural system located in Hebei, China, dating back to the 13th century, having developed unique knowledge and techniques to construct dryland stone terraces in limestone area in Taihang mountains, which is short of fertile soil and rain. Shexian is well-known for walnut cultivation and Chinese prickly ash.
Start date 2022
Title Traditional Mulberry System in Xiajin’s Ancient Yellow River Course
Introduction Traditional Mulberry System is located on the sandy land of the ancient course left by the Yellow River. The resilient mulberry trees, planted to control sandstorms, provides significant ecosystem services which makes it possible to plant crops among the trees. There are over 20,000 mulberry trees which are over 100 years old.
Start date 2018
Title Zhagana Agriculture-Forestry-Animal Husbandry Composite System
Introduction The system is located in the boundary of three major landforms and three climatic zones. It is a transitional zone of Tibetan-Chinese culture as well as agriculture and animal husbandry. Farmers adapted to the area and developed knowledge and techniques to utilize the resources of land, forest, grassland and species.
Start date 2017
Title Jiaxian Traditional Chinese Date Gardens
Introduction The Jia County has over 1,000 years old history of diverse jujube cultivation, a fruit species native to China. In the dry environment that suffers frequent drought, jujube trees are "life-saving plants" that are also significant in preventing sandstorms and conserving water and soil on the loess plateau, sparsely vegetated.
Start date 2014
Title Zhejiang Huzhou Mulberry-dyke & Fish-pond System
Introduction Zhejiang Huzhou Mulberry-dyke & Fish-pond System originated more than 2,500 years ago. It integrates several agricultural production modes working in symbiosis, such as the cultivation of mulberry-dyke trees, silk rearing and fish cultivation. It is based on a very complex irrigation and drainage system, and protects huge biodiversity and complex landscape.
Start date 2017
Title Xinghua Duotian Agrosystem
Introduction In the past thousands of years, in order to fight against floods, Xinghua Duotian agrosystem developed a unique water-land utilization method by forming the raised field, and turned water area and wild land into cultivable land. It presents a typical compound agriculture-forestry-aquaculture model including traditional farming practices for watering, fertilizing and seed selection.
Start date 2014
Title Jasmine and Tea Culture System of Fuzhou City
Introduction According to historical records, Fuzhou started its plantation of Jasmine at as early as the Western Han Dynasty (206BC- 9AD), and became one of the major areas for tea cultivation. Nowadays, this region has developed a strong knowledge for jasmine tea cultivation and post-harvest processes.
Start date 2014
Title Pu’er Traditional Tea Agrosystem
Introduction The Pu'er Tea Agroecosystem of Yunnan province is the world's largest area of tea forest plantations established thousands of years ago, considered the world's provenance of tea trees. The system has typical tea forests and modern tableland tea plantations, rich bio- and agro- diversity, sound landscape features, traditional knowledge systems and rich tea culture.
Start date 2012
Title Floating Garden Agricultural Practices
Introduction Floating gardens have developed in parts of Bangladesh most affected by floods and where water remains for a long time. Various plants can be grown on the floating bed made of water hyacinth and other plant residues. The traditional practice and landscape provides numerous social, economic, agricultural and ecological benefits.
Start date 2011
Title Urban Agricultural Heritage – Xuanhua Grape Garden
Introduction The Xuanhua district's traditional Vineyard system, a typical example of a traditional Chinese garden agriculture, has over 1,300 years of history. The funnel-shaped designed trellises conserves soil and water, protects the grape vines from frost and strong wind, and provides outstanding advantages of enriching biological diversity, eco-system functions and assuring food safety.
Start date 2013
Title Koraput Traditional Agriculture
Introduction The traditional system of Koraput region, mainly consisting of small scale fields integrated to the land forest management, is strongly linked to local traditional communities. From their knowledge and practices, high biodiversity has been conserved through an in-situ conservation and they have sustainably managed the forest preserving endemic species.
Start date 2012