Vulnerability of Oasis Agriculture to Climate Change in Morocco

Morocco is considered one of the most threatened countries by climate change. Over the last century, oases ecosystems in this country showed a high vulnerability to climate variation, which has led to water scarcity, an increase in land salinity, and therefore, a decrease in agricultural production. Conscious of these issues, several solutions are initiated by the government to cope with climate change adverse effects. Many programs of rehabilitation were launched, and advanced researches are in progress in order to use some biofertilizers to improve tolerance of oasis crops to drought and salinity toward sustainable agriculture. The aim of this chapter is to give an overview of the impacts of climate change on oasis agriculture in Morocco and to provide potentially effective strategies to promote oasis agriculture under climate change. As a conclusion, the authors found that the use of different biofertilizers could be a potential strategy to mitigate climate change effects on oasis agriculture in Morocco.

Ways to Improve the Productivity of Oasis Agriculture: Increasing the Scale of Household Production and Human Capital? A Case Study on Seed Maize Production in Northwest China

Oasis agriculture in arid areas faces the constraints of scarce resources and a fragile ecological environment. Improving agricultural production efficiency is the key solution. However, there are few studies analyzing the relationship between farmers’ production efficiency and planting scale from a micro-empirical perspective. Herein, we study the seed-producing corn growers in Zhangye city, and supplement special survey data with national input–output survey data. We use data envelopment analysis to measure agricultural production efficiency, and tobit regression to calculate the marginal effects of factors affecting production efficiency on farms of different scales. The results show that production efficiency is greater for large-scale farmers than for small-scale farmers. Duration of technical training, education time of laborers, planting income, and productive expenditure are significantly positively correlated with production efficiency. Average age of farmers and the amount of pesticide and fertilizer use are significantly negatively correlated with production efficiency. Off-farm activities improve the production efficiency of small-scale farmers but inhibit it for medium- and large-scale farmers. Differences exist in marginal impacts for different scales of farmland. We conclude that expanding the scale of family farms and optimizing human capital are effective for improving agricultural production efficiency in arid oasis areas.

Vulnerability of Oasis Agriculture to Climate Change in Morocco

Morocco is considered one of the most threatened countries by climate change. Over the last century, oases ecosystems in this country showed a high vulnerability to climate variation, which has led to water scarcity, an increase in land salinity, and therefore, a decrease in agricultural production. Conscious of these issues, several solutions are initiated by the government to cope with climate change adverse effects. Many programs of rehabilitation were launched, and advanced researches are in progress in order to use some biofertilizers to improve tolerance of oasis crops to drought and salinity toward sustainable agriculture. The aim of this chapter is to give an overview of the impacts of climate change on oasis agriculture in Morocco and to provide potentially effective strategies to promote oasis agriculture under climate change. As a conclusion, the authors found that the use of different biofertilizers could be a potential strategy to mitigate climate change effects on oasis agriculture in Morocco.

Vulnerability of oasis agriculture to sandstorm disasters in Xinjiang, China

A vulnerability assessment index system and model for oasis agriculture to sandstorm disaster had been constructed. The concept was based on the characteristics of oasis agriculture, from the view of comprehensive disaster reduction and regional sustainable development. Seven main oasis agricultural regions in Xinjiang, China in 1980s, 1990s and 2000s were considered. Focusing on the sensitivity of regional hazard formative environments and the adaptability of sandstorm disaster affected bodies, the vulnerability of oasis agriculture was assessed. The results showed that the vulnerability of oasis agriculture to sandstorm disaster changes in different periods and is mainly affected by sensitivity of climate and adaptability of local agricultural conditions. During the past three decades, the sensitivity has been enhanced in some regions, but the vulnerability of the region has not been significantly reduced because of the enhancement of human adaptability.

The Middle Draa Project (Morocco): results from the survey and trial excavations 2015–18

The Middle Draa Project (2015–18) is a pioneering survey of the archaeology of a c.200 km long valley at the northern edge of the Moroccan Sahara. Combining mapping from satellite imagery, field survey and trial excavation, the project has established a new baseline for the region's archaeological heritage. This paper concentrates on the main results in relation to the Protohistoric (Iron Age) phase, when the first steps towards sedentarisation and oasis agriculture appear to have been taken.

Can We Abandon a Traditional Irrigation in the Ouakda Oasis (Algeria)?

Can we abandon traditional irrigation to the detriment of modern irrigation in the oasis of Ouakda? This is the question we pose in this study. Indeed, based on three missions carried out in the oasis of Ouakda during the years 2013, 2015 and 2016, we made visits and investigations to ancestral works as well as surveys of the local population. The results indicate that the Ksourian population irrigated the gardens and the palm grove by surface and underground water. Two ancestral dams made on the Bechar River for irrigation the gardens of the lower part. On the other hand, the foggaras irrigated the upper part of the palm grove. Today, new land has been built on the upper part of the palm grove. Thanks to new hydraulic techniques such as drilling and motor pumps, modern agriculture has developed on the other side of the palm grove to the detriment of oasis agriculture.

Agricultural diversity and food security in the South of Algeria

<p>In this article we try to introduce the different agriculture forms adapted in the Province of Ghardaïa southern Algeria and to identify their development perspectives in the purpose of reaching food security. The research work was based on survey at the agricultural area of the region let us know four agriculture forms. First, old palm for subsistence, new palm agriculture for business vocation, then pre-oasis agriculture known by its market garden and livestock farming and the fourth one is extra-oasis featured by large scale farming. In addition to their different way of exploitation, the agricultural form present different potentialities in the development and food security. </p><strong><em>Key words</em></strong><em>: Agriculture, Development, Food security, Oasis, Palmary.</em>