Traditional practices: A window for water erosion management in the Argana basin (Western High Atlas Morocco)

Geosciences and Environment Team, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir 8106, Morocco.

^* Corresponding author: medaithaddou@gmail.com

Abstract

Water and soil are two essential natural resources, which their preservation determines the local and national environmental sustainability. The pollution and erosion processes causing deterioration of these resources, which impacting negativaly the environment and economy development. This research aims to suggest the most straight forward and most appropriate control measures for the basins that are socially and economically acceptable for farmers. By consdering Argana basin as study area, the proposed approach consists, first, to analyze the soil loss map and, then, cconducted semi-structured interviews with local farmers at various locations across the basin. The results indicate that the areas of high and very high deterioration encompass 48 % of the basin’s surface. In addition, all of the farmers questioned used agroforestry on their managed sites. The study highlight the importtance of the traditional practices in fighting water erosion risk.