Dynamics of oasis territories and their environment

The oasis is known as an agricultural enclave in or at the edge of a desert, it is a break in the arid environment. Therefore, it is defined by the contrast between the dense green island (staged culture) and its extended surrounding where it is localised. Moreover, it is a contact area between two very different lifestyles (sedentary and nomadic) with multiple complementary interests: commercial, social, and cultural. 

A reading of the Saharan environment shows that it is in the oasis that the oldest agrarian civilisations and the finest in history were born and developed. Until today, the people of the oasis remain authentic actors (farmers, pastoralists, collectors) who have a strong sense of space and who are rewarded by their land with products of proven quality.

Therefore users of arid territory live in a kind of symbiosis that creats solidarity among all activities, a solidarity that sometimes also
prevents conflicts and solves disputes.

The International Workshop WID TOE 2017 on "Dynamics of oasis territories and their environment" will be held on 3-4 April 2017, in Ouargla, Algeria.

It aims at taking stock of the following aspects:

•  Dynamics of exchanges, complementarities and conflicts in the Saharan oasis and territories;
•  Socio-economic analysis and its contribution to understand changing vocations of oasis, migration flows, local knowledge and know-how;
•  measurement and evaluation of the sustainability of these territories, with a focus on challenges and impacts of water and soil resources.

[Full French Description of the Workshop here | photo by Frontriver]