Water management and the agricultural development constraints in the Algerian Sahara: case of the MZab Valley

In Algeria, modern agriculture was introduced in the Saharan region through the implementation of the law n° 83–18 of August 13, 1983, relating to access to agricultural land ownership (Fr. Accession à la Propriété Foncière Agricole (APFA) in French). This law was hugely successful and sparked a real enthusiasm for this type of activity, which resulted in an expansion of agricultural areas at the M’Zab level, similar to that observed in other Saharan regions. Over the past decades, the agricultural area has declined markedly (–0.4%), which was due to multiple causes, including ecological problems, such as urban discharges and the rise in the water level. So far, little research has been done to assess the agricultural situation and irrigation in this region. The objective of this work is to analyse and discuss the constraints and impacts of water and agricultural management on sustainability of the ecosystem in the Saharan environment. This work is based on extensive research, which has been carried out in the M’Zab region on the oasis system and its evolution. It was enriched with dozens of direct surveys, performed among farmers working in agricultural areas. The results show that agricultural development and the sustainability of farms in this region face several technical and social constraints, the most important of which are the workforce-related problems and water management. Several measures have been recommended to be taken not only to preserve the ecosystem but also to give significance to the large investments made by the public authorities.