Management and sharing of agricultural water in traditional technical oasis of Biskra. Case oasis Chettma (low Algerian Sahara)

Foufou, Ammar; Bord, Jean-paul

Agriculture
Volume 7, Numéro 1, Pages 44-54
2016-06-30

Management And Sharing Of Agricultural Water In Traditional Technical Oasis Of Biskra. Case Oasis Chettma (low Algerian Sahara)

Auteurs : Foufou Ammar . Bord Jean-paul .

Résumé

This study aims to analyze the sharing modes of agricultural water and traditional practices introduced by the ancient oasiens to sustain agriculture to this day. A survey was conducted in the oasis in 350 farms Chettma / existing 465, using the simple random sampling method. Semi-structured interviews with farmers have collected data on the peasant organization in the oasis, agricultural water management terms, the old peasant solidarity and financial transactions related to the water round systems. Management of agricultural water is done in strict compliance on the part of everyone who bears the name of "water round". It is a fair, rigourous and complex mathematical way of calculating. The ancient oasiens established a solidarity system for the poorest to have free irrigation water to the land during periods of known and counted. Trade in agricultural water in traditional agricultural areas is as old as the share modes. This space is under the threat of deep socio-economic changes that have occurred around the oases. In addition to its economic value, water is a maintenance factor of the agricultural population in the oases which remain under threat from changes in the socioeconomic environment.