Drought and Fires Threaten Ancient Moroccan Oases, Risking Cultural and Environmental Loss

Fires have destroyed a large number of palm trees as well as trees, crops and other crops. These phenomena occurred on July 2 and 7 in Issi Ifla in the province of Tiznit and Immi Oukadir in the province of Tata in the south of the kingdom. This situation could lead to the total disappearance of civilizations and peoples, not to mention the degradation of nature, desertification and climate change. All of this is likely to lead to the deterioration of the living conditions of the populations, as well as those of the environment.

Following these events, several actors in the region’s society have written to the state authorities. The Head of Government, Saâdeddine El Otmani, several ministers, not to mention the institutions, received the "plea" from the Consultation Committee. Indeed, following these recurrent fires, they have called for urgent action to save these oases from drought, water stress and climate change.

From their plea, we also note the use of other alternatives, to promote a relaunch and even develop sustainable tourism. Also, they wish for tourism as a promising niche, to preserve the culture, values, traditions and identity of these regions. In addition, they recommend the protection of the oases, to avoid the disappearance of these sites with transversal potential. It will also be a question of developing suitable roads, to allow the fire engines to access the oases without difficulty. The installation of fire fighting units near the oases is also, for these actors of the civil society, an undeniable solution.

Finally, the authors of civil society invite government officials to a public debate on climate change and desertification, to put an end to these recurrent phenomena, in order to boost sustainable tourism.