Morocco

MOROCCO

The khettaras, ingenious water management in desert oases

For centuries, oases have played a vital role within the complex network of trade routes that crossed some of the planet’s driest regions. Khettaras (also known as foggaras in Algeria or qanats in Iran) are several kilometres long underground tunnels that gently draw water from geographical areas located at higher altitudes to the oases.

Water channelled through khettaras is suitable for all human uses but is mainly used to irrigate land through intensive agriculture, which, according to agroecological principles, combines perennial tree crops and seasonal crops in the same plot.

Desert oases stand out as highly productive anthropic ecosystems. Thanks to the farsighted use of groundwater, they not only sustain local communities, but also generate a surplus of high value. If properly managed, oases are self-sufficient systems that are sustainable by definition.