All About Wadis

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Mukhallalati Basha
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A wadi is a depression in the mountains - or in gravel plains or dune areas - caused by natural processes such as the movement of the earth’s surface and weathering. Water from the surrounding areas runs into these wadis and, being the course of least resistance, they carry the water to wherever they lead, be it sea, lake or plain. In other words, wadis are watercourses - according to the Westernised version of the word. According to the literal translation from the Arabic, however, wadis are valleys.

Traditionally, wadis are a source of water for people living in rural areas, and most oases and villages have sprung up because of their proximity. Tayibbah, Asimah, Masati, Hatta and Buraimi are some examples.

Another traditional use of the wadi is as a travelling route, whether through dunes or mountains, between towns and villages, or even between countries. Wadi Al Qawr, for instance, was used as a route between the UAE and Oman, while Wadi Ham and Wadi Siji together connect Fujairah, through the mountains, to the gravel plains of the rest of the UAE.

Some wadis were originally river beds stretching to the sea. Over time, and through lack of water and flooding, some wadis - such as Wadi Al Faya - have dried, been silted up by moving sand and become disconnected from their original destination. Others, however, still flow into the sea after heavy flooding, the wadi that runs through Al Ohaid and Falaj Al Mualla being a good example.

Some of the most scenic drivers are through wadis. What makes them so beautiful are the meandering tracks passing through oases, the water itself and the plants which have flourished because of the proximity of the water, especially flowering plants such as the oleander.

Of special interest here is the way people have controlled the course of the water flow by building a falaj (irrigation-channel) system into the oases, leading the water to where it’s most needed. Some of these aflaj (plural of falaj) date back many hundreds of years, and their presence is the reason for the continued existence of the oases and villages today.

Another characteristic of wadis is their geological importance. Because of their continuous erosion by water, wind, sun and the movement of the earth, an area of visual pleasure and geological interest has been exposed. A variety of shapes, forms, colours and texture show the layers of rock and tell us much about the geological composition of the area.

Because a watercourse can run from mountain to plains, exposing the variety of compositions along the way, a wadi provides a continuous journey of knowledge and change. Driving through a wadi really is like taking a journey through the geological history of the earth. Take a drive through Wadi Bih, or through Wadi Sharm and Wadi Oahti, and you’ll undoubtedly agree.:045:
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