Twenty Years of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems

Ghout Oases system El Oued, Algeria

Outstanding wind management adapted to life in the desert

THE SYSTEM

The ghouts are unique oases located in the Wilaya of El Oued in southeastern Algeria. Since the fifteenth century, the local Sufi communities have grown date palms by controlling desert winds. Using palm leaves as windbreaks, the farmers create a depression in the dunes about ten metres deep. The palms are planted directly above the water table where they have direct and ongoing access to scarce groundwater resources.

The desert communities have made agriculture possible without irrigation or energy expenditure by creating green oases on immense stretches of sand. The ghouts represent a unique and valuable source of livelihood for farmers living far from urban areas. They are also an inspiration in terms of technical innovation to cope with desertification and climate change.

BIODIVERSITY FOR FOOD AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITY

The ghouts are home to a rich diversity of wildlife, as well as cultivated agricultural biodiversity. Faced with the difficult climate, farmers have long selected date palm varieties adapted to the local circumstances.

The conservation of these date palm varieties draws on ancestral knowledge of how to manage, fertilize, multiply and harvest them. Today, 26 varieties of date palm are cultivated in the ghouts, all of them known for their outstanding taste. Thanks to the microclimate created by the oases, it is also possible to cultivate other vegetables and cereals and to raise small livestock.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Since the designation of the Ghout Oases system El Oued in 2011:

• Five associations have been created to foster the empowerment of local farmers and to develop income-generating activities. For example, farmers have revived the production of almost extinct products from small goat breeding. Local breeds of pigeons have also been reintroduced to generate additional income.

• Faced with the threat of excessive groundwater pumping, the Algerian Government issued a decree limiting pumping from the aquifers on which the ghouts depend. In addition, the replacement of dried-out date palm trees has been initiated in collaboration with national institutes.
• The GIAHS designation has led to renewed interest among consumers. Today, ghout dates sell at three times the price of dates from conventional systems.
• Women have been trained to develop crafts and products based on the processing of dates.
• The ghouts are real islands of activity with unique development potential. Tourist circuits have been developed to further diversify the activities of farmers and strengthen their livelihood security.

ALGERIA
The palm dates from the ghout are recognized for their high-quality flavour and long conservation properties
©HALIMA KHALED

ALGERIA
Natural fences made of palm tree leaves are arranged in the dunes to take advantage of the winds and excavate sands
©HALIMA KHALED

ALGERIA
Palm trees in the ghout are planted at the outcrop of water tables allowing to reduce evaporation
©INRAA

RESOURCES

Near East and North Africa | Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations | GIAHS | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (fao.org)