Page 230 - Life & Land Use on the Bahrain Islands (Curtis E Larsen)

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usage at this time. Thus, medieval irrigation technology raised whatever limit
there may have been to agricultural production. Such a technological change may
be related to noticeable decreases in artesian spring levels in outlying areas which
began to be felt about this same time. This threat was countered through the
increased use of qanats which may have been introduced into the islands during the
Sasanian or Early Islamic periods. In medieval times the construction of qanats
spread to the southwestern coastal plain to counter real problems of declining
water levels. A decrease in agricultural land use followed the medieval period.
This was most certainly related to a decrease in winter rainfall and the steadily
dropping spring levels along the southwest coast. Land abandonment was noticed
at least as early as the late nineteenth century, when Durand (1879) commented on
abandoned date gardens.

The Modern Period

By 1890, the population of Bahrain was at least 19,000. This period marks the
apparent beginning of modern population growth. At this general point of
transition, the entire concept of population size directly related to cultivated land
area breaks down. The late nineteenth century marks the beginning of formal
agreements between Bahrain and Great Britain for international representation.
Once again, the islands were involved in an external trade network which would
normally be predicted to stimulate development and increase agricultural land
development on the island, Instead, population grew beyond any meaningful
connection with the agricultural lands. Since the mid nineteenth century, Bahrain
experienced a pattern of decreasing death rates without proportional decreases in
births. These new patterns were doubtless effected by western medical care and ;
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improved diet brought to the islands at this time. At the same time, immigration
from other parts of the British Empire must have added to rapid population growth.
The present picture for Bahrain is one of stress. The present population will double

by the end of the century yielding ca. 500,000 people. In terms of the optimum
ratio of population to arable land that we have discussed (125 personsAm )> a

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