Water management, an ancestral intelligence
The Tighmert/Asrir oasis has a remarkable network of “Khettara”, an underground irrigation system allowing the collection of infiltration water where the canals bring the water to the surface for the irrigation of agricultural land. . The ancient khettara of Taramguist, for example, demonstrates the effectiveness and sustainability of a centuries-old system in symbiosis with a rare natural resource. Certainly, the strong point of Tighmert/Asrir is the abundance of its water resources and the community intelligence with which they are managed. However, the threat exists, with the different forms of degradation and pollution, in particular by the detergents used by the local population and dumped into the Ouerguenoun wadi, the plants and trees which clog the watercourses and reduce their effectiveness. -science, as well as the use of motor pumps for water from underground aquifers which has harmful consequences on the already reduced flow of the source which supplies the oasis. In terms of agriculture, a subsistence activity of fodder and market gardening is developing inside the palm grove thanks to the arboreal level of date palms which offers a favorable microclimate. Date production, although currently of poor quality, could be improved by the use of suckers (gharss) resistant to Bayoud, this disease which destroyed high quality date palms during the 70s and 80s.
An inexhaustible cultural heritage
The cultural riches of Tighmert/Asrir reflect centuries of meetings and exchanges, and the inhabitants of the oasis have always been the lever of its dynamism. A kasbah has been transformed into a museum where the traditional objects on display tell the story of nomadism and Sahrawi culture. The Zaouia of Asrir, the houses of the ancient Caids and the Tayssa caves are among others among the must-see historical sites. Tighmert/Asrir is also the stronghold of G’dra folk dance, and a mecca of Hassani poetry.
Great eco-tourist potential
Its artisanal know-how for the use of palm branches and leather, its traditional songs and dances, its Moussem l’Aabid (Ganga Festival) which takes place every August for a week, its original gastronomy with dishes based on wheat or barley (Aläiche, Bulghamane, Azembou…), without forgetting the camel meat skewers and tagines, the exceptional setting of the Saharan environments just an hour’s drive away, and finally the legendary conviviality of its inhabitants make Tighmert/Asrir a most attractive stopover for an eco-tourist circuit. Local products, notably aromatic and medicinal plants such as mugwort, gum arabic, henna or even “daghmous” among many others, as well as the quality and aesthetics of the basketry, will delight amateurs. natural and authentic.
A past that must be reborn
However, these historical and cultural riches are gradually being abandoned due to lack of means and energy to preserve them. The beautiful landscapes are altered by constructions with cement blocks, the flora is deteriorating, ancestral creativity gives way to the superficial attractions of modernity… The civil society of Tighmert/Asrir, renowned for its dynamism and already active in this direction, could balance the trend, but it requires supervision and support to strengthen its restorative action. Effective local governance is already in place and works to preserve the authenticity of Tighmert/Asrir while meeting the imperatives of modernity. In this sense, the Program to Combat Desertification and Combat Poverty through the Protection and Development of Oases, Guelmim-Assa-Tata Component, acts as a facilitator through technical support allowing local actors to design and implement implement an Integrated Conservation and Development Plan for the Oasis. Effective local governance is already in place and works to preserve the authenticity of Tighmert/Asrir while meeting the demands of modernity. In this sense, the program to combat desertification and reduce poverty through the protection and development of Oases, Guelmim-Assa-Tata component, acts as a facilitator through technical support which allows local actors to design and to implement an integrated plan for the protection and development of the Oasis. This is how Tighmert/Asrir will see its future flourish thanks to the riches of its past.
Integration and innovation in Asrir – Tighmert
An innovative and fruitful partnership has materialized between the rural commune of Asrir-Tighmerte, the Wilaya of Guelmim Es-Sémara and the South Oasis Program to:
Support rural oasis communities in the field of participatory planning applied to sustainable development issues;
Promote decentralization, deconcentration and good governance;
Adopt a territorial approach which will allow the municipality to implement a municipal economic and social development plan integrating the priorities of the preservation and development of oases.
In Tighmert/Asrir the first eco-tourist circuit of the southern oases will also be created, with the support of UNDP and Finnish Cooperation for three simple and authentic accommodations, a first core of local activity made up of three young people from the oasis in training courses, and two thematic circuits. The necessary funds have been mobilized and the fruits of this initiative will be capitalized so that the experience is extended to other oasis territories.
Program to Combat Desertification and Combat Poverty through the Conservation and Development of Oases Guelmim-Assa-Tata Component. (South Oasis Program)
14, rue Tunis, Apt. 2, Résidence Tunis – Hassan – Rabat Tel.: 212 (0) 37 70 96 09 – Fax: 212 (0) 37 70 96 48
Agency for the Promotion and Economic and Social Development of the Southern Provinces of the Kingdom
Corner of avenue Moulay Rachid and rue Patrice Lumumba, Rabat – Morocco Tel.: 212 (0) 37 21 92 50 / 212 (0) 37 70 49 38 e-mail: lagencedusud@lagencedusud.gov.ma
Tighmert