Water, usufruct and utility in the andalusí irrigation of the Kingdom of Valencia

Abstract

The origin of the written rules on the use of water in the Levantine mainland raises several questions. The first one about who were the authors in the drafting and fixation of Law. The second question is about the role that the custom of the Saracens played in preserving legal traditions, the maintenance of waterrelated infrastructure and water management. The third question concerns how deal the interests on water of different communities, after the religious point of view, taking into account the fundamental principles of equitably and proportionately in the use of water. The fact is that the sources of Law preserved on the process of conquest and population remain one of the useful references in resolving some of the uncertainties, and for justifying the maintenance of tradition and customs in current law as well. This is the way to understand the survival institutions and formulas in the management of water, not only in the Levantine framework but in many other areas of the Mediterranean basin with identical environmental and geo-climatic characteristics.