Qanat is not a hazard: Rebuttal to “Qanat hazard in Iranian urban areas: explanation and remedies” by Abbasnejad A, Abbasnejad B, Derakhshani R, Hemmati Sarapardeh A (Environ Earth Sci 2016; 75: 1306)

Comments are presented on the article by Abbasnejad et al. (Environ Earth Sci 75:1306, 2016) dealing with qanat and hazards in Iran. My rebuttal starts from the direct attribution of the described hazards to qanat and addresses the importance in the correct use of terminology for geological hazards. All of the problems pointed out in Iran (subsidence, sinkholes, pollution) have, to me, an anthropogenic origin and cannot be directly ascribed to qanat. Eventually, I present some additional elements to highlight the remarkable importance of qanat systems and their influence on the development of similar underground structures in many countries of the Mediterranean Basin. This remarks the relevance of qanat as cultural heritage sites and the need for their preservation and valorization.