this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2026
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[–] mapto@masto.bg 8 points 2 months ago (2 children)

This type of large scale engineering is quite dangerous, but still better this than what has happened for decades around the world and is still happening in Brazil.

@blackn1ght @science

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 18 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Original from slrpnk.net, slight formatting fixes:
(btw, also less floods with this)


Digging Away Droughts

Solarpunk Farming · 06. 2024

Did you know that simply digging a slight ditch can completely change the health of a landscape?

In modern landscaping, any sort of hole or ditch is considered a “dangerous tripping hazard,” “unsightly,” or “a waste of space,” so everything is smoothed out. If you go to most cities and farms, the only non-flat places are designed to carry water away from cities, rather than hold onto it.

This thought process can not only increase overland flooding and wash away topsoil, but it also gives water no place to sit and be absorbed into the soil. Without any water capture gradually trickling into the soil and creating an underground reservoir, the landscape becomes less drought resistant and more susceptible to wildfires.

The permaculture techniques to correct this have many names and methods, including:

They might be different shapes and use slightly different methods, but they all do all work the same on a basic level. The idea is to dig or build a shape that will slowdown and/or catch some of the movement of water. This can make the soil more absorbent (dry and hardened soil does not absorb water as easily) which promotes healthy microbiome of the soil.

Even if the water dries out visibly during the dry season, underground, they could be making a huge difference.

It is not new science, but instead something many cultures around the world have a long history with, but many modern farming practices(mostly to make it farming machine friendly) and development flatten everything out. If people changed this point of view, it could change our landscapes.

In cities, they look like a slight ditch in front of a house, or a creek in a greenspace.

(Image Sources: Image 1 | Image 2)

For other landscapes, it could be just slight indents in un-farmable areas, or ditches dug around farm perimeters.

They do not have to be very deep, and often do not need any fancy equipment to dig(most just take a shovel), but they can do amazing things.

In the process of reversing landscape desertification, it is proving drastically helpful. As the underground water reserves build, so does the vegetation.

(Image Source: Just Dig It. An example of demi-lunes / half-moons)

More Info:

[–] Leax@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 2 months ago

Very interesting thank you!

[–] blackn1ght@feddit.uk 4 points 2 months ago

That was really interesting, thanks! There's a lot of these kind of "ditches" where I live, the entire village is only 20 years old so they clearly had this in mind.

[–] choui4@lemmy.zip 4 points 2 months ago

This type of large scale engineering is quite dangerous

What makes it dangerous?

[–] 0ddysseus@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

But at what cost!? (/s)

[–] KyxFuddib@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

China is doing a lot of things. A lot of bad things and a lot of great things.

[–] choui4@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

What bad things are they doing?

[–] KyxFuddib@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Threatening/forbiding the independence of Taiwan people. Forbiding independence of tibet. Persecution of the Muslim minority. Threatening access to water by india and bengladesh by constructing a dam upstream on the Yarlung river. Forbiding democracy in their country. mass surveillance. the great firewall.

I think there are many more things that China is doing bad, as any powerful and dominating people do. So that is not to say that China is worse than the US or Russia for instance. I think they are worse than Europe though. Even though Europe isn't perfect either.

[–] choui4@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

See, some of those things are kinda weird and almost wrong to the point of being american propaganda, I think. Isnt Taiwan legally apart of China?

[–] KyxFuddib@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

no. china says Taiwan belong to them. taiwan people says they are independent. I am with the freedom of the people to decide for themselves.

[–] choui4@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago
[–] FenrirIII@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

This gets reposted every month