The effects of climate change on oases threaten the “lifeblood” of the Southeast

Residents of the Southeast have a close relationship with the oases, but a combination of the effects of climate change and fires that have destroyed large areas of palm trees, in addition to a lack of interest from competent authorities. The area of ​​oases disrupted the local people’s relationship with the land, as many of them were forced to migrate towards the cities in search of livelihood.

In recent years, calls have been made to save what remains of the oases of the Southeast, whose palm trees, which have been awaiting extinction for decades, have yielded better types of dates, especially after the region became a place for large-scale agriculture. Investors said this posed an additional risk to the oases, due to the depletion of the water table.

Residents do not deny the role of climate change in the continued degradation of oases, but they believe the impact of climate change will be minimal if urgent measures are taken to protect them, a view adopted by Hassan al-Bared. of elected officials in the region.

Lassen Al-Bared, a member of the Ternata community in Zagora region, one of the largest oases, explained that the oasis lives on the surface water bed that runs through the valleys, feeding traditional wells no more than thirty meters deep. in depth, but these wells ran out of water after large farmers entered the area to invest, where they established agricultural plantations in vast areas, and sometimes dug water pits up to 200 meters deep.

“These wells, dug with modern machinery, have cut off the lifeline of water from the oases, and since 2014 they have been rapidly deteriorating, despite being known for rare and high-quality dates such as Medjool, Fuqaz and Bouskari…” says Hassan al-Bared, who subsidizes drip irrigation. It is not in the interest of small farmers to have three hectares of land to benefit from the provision, as most of them own acres. Small lot resulting from division of property among heirs.

Environmentalists estimate that tens of thousands of palm trees have been burned to ashes, and that their burning has cut off people’s ties to the land in the desert.

“People here live off the oasis, there are no factories. When the oases die, people find no other solution than to pack their bags and migrate to join the inhabitants of the suburbs of the cities,” explains Hassan al-Bared, “It is still possible to save the oases, through this provision of water, and the promotion of cooperatives to assess the local production of dates. “Instead of leaving it in the hands of big farmers who channelize it for export,” he said.

Based on his expertise in the field of geology, the same speaker considered the Atlas Mountains to be a watery area that comes from melting snow: “If you plant a palm tree for every palm that burns. By helping small farmers dig wells, wood, and water are provided, the oases are renewed and continue to grow. “Production, so that the state guarantees the stability of the population on their land and not migration to the suburbs of the cities.