Biggest Challenges
There were always challenges faced by Mesopotamians, but this resulted in them working together. Salinization occurred after many years of irrigation. Salinization is the buildup of salt in a certain area. The salt reduced the fertility of the soil, making it impossible to grow any crops. Water storage was another challenge Mesopotamians faced. Water was needed in the winter to keep the crops alive, but the Tigris and Euphrates rivers were frozen. This was a major problem because the fields would dry out, which would result in the harvest being ruined. The different canals always needed repairing because if there was a small crack, something could go wrong.
Water Storage
An irrigation system was usually made up of canals, dikes, basins, dams, and levees. Water was stored in basins or dikes, along the fields for the crops during the winter. The water kept the crops through the winter, giving the crops enough time to grow before they are harvested. The canals, levees, and dams were used to stop flooding. This prevented destruction of the crops. With the help of dams, levees, basins, dikes, and canals, Mesopotamia was able to grow crops with no hassle. This helped Mesopotamia ensure the safety of the crops and supply food for Mesopotamia.
Repairing the Systems
With canals, basins, dikes, and levees breaking, Mesopotamians had to create a way to fix them more quickly and fluently. They did this by creating a system for lower class people to repair the system, so farmers would be able to focus on the fields and crops. This was useful because it allowed farmers to come up with other problems that could affect the harvest.
Salinization
Salinization was a huge challenge for farmers. Overtime the salt would decrease the fertility of the soil. This caused farmers to abandon their fields because they would not be able to grow crops. This process may have taken a lot of time, but if the farmers hadn't abandoned their fields there would be no crops.
Solution to Salinization and the Breakage of the System
The solutions to salinization and the breakage of irrigation systems were important. This was because it made it possible to tell farmers that the salt was not helping their soil. If the irrigation systems were not fixed, they would create problems. If these problems had not been resolved, Mesopotamia would not have been a very successful civilization. When all challenges were faced, crops were grown, and Mesopotamia was working smoothly.
Solution to Water Storage
An irrigation system was usually made up of canals, dikes, basins, dams, and levees. These were important to Mesopotamia because they were the support of all irrigation systems.This solved the challenge of water storage for the people.