Editing Umar (section)

=== Canals ===
Since Medina, with a rapidly growing population, was at risk of recurring famines when crops were lacking, Umar sought to facilitate the import of grain. He ordered the building of a canal connecting the Nile to the Red Sea and an improvement of port infrastructure on the Arabian coast. When Basra was established during Umar's rule, he started building a nine-mile canal from the Tigris to the new city for irrigation and drinking water.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mqbcAwAAQBAJ&q=umar+canal+medina&pg=PA78 |title=Early Islam and the Birth of Capitalism |last=Koehler |first=Benedikt |date=17 June 2014 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing|Lexington Books]] |isbn=9780739188835 |page=78 |language=en}}</ref> Al-Tabari reports that Utba ibn Ghazwan built the first canal from the Tigris River to the site of Basra when the city was in the planning stage.{{Citation needed|date=December 2014}} After the city was built, Umar appointed [[Abu Musa Ashaari]] (17-29/638 – 650) as its first governor.{{Citation needed|date=December 2014}} He began building two important canals, the [[al-Ubulla]] and the Ma'qil, linking Basra with the Tigris River. These two canals were the basis for the agricultural development for the whole Basra region and used for drinking water. Umar also adopted a policy of assigning barren lands to those who undertook to cultivate them. This policy continued during the Umayyad period and resulted in the cultivation of large areas of barren lands through the construction of irrigation canals by the state and by individuals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history-science-technology.com/articles/articles%2012.htm |title=History of Science And Technology in Islam |publisher=History-science-technology.com |access-date=29 January 2019}}</ref>