Algerian desert tourism

[Al-khiyal]

Ghardaia is the heart of the Mezab Valley in Algeria.

Anyone who has quoted St. Augustine, listened to Édith Piaf, mused upon the existentialist works of Albert Camus, worn the fancy threads of Yves Saint Laurent, seen a film by Isabelle Adjani or marveled at the unusual headers of the soccer star Zinédine Zidane has already appreciated the cultural achievements of Algerians, full-blooded, partial-blooded or French-born. Alas, because of its vicious civil conflict in the 1990s — which killed more than 150,000 people — few foreigners have immersed themselves in Algeria itself. But thanks to a 1999 general amnesty and huge petrodollar profits financing the rebuilding, Africa’s second-largest nation in area is on the road to recovery.

To span Algeria is to span several millenniums of human experience and a kaleidoscope of other-planetary landscapes. There’s the bustling Mediterranean city of Oran, a party capital fueled by funky Algerian raï music. There are the splendid Roman cities of Djemila and Timgad, where wind whistles through the ruins of amphitheaters, arches and forests of crumbling columns. But nothing quite defines Algeria like the vast Sahara.

Sprawled across 80 percent of the landscape, the undulating sea of sand hides medieval oasis cities, teeming market towns and acres upon acres of prehistoric cave paintings at Tassili Oua-n-Ahaggar.

While Algeria still suffers isolated violence and has some urban neighborhoods that would give Shaft the willies, the country is at last garnering some laurels around the globe. “Algeria: The Rebirth,” trumpeted Géo, a top French travel magazine, on its October cover. The sands may finally be shifting for the desert nation.

In the Sahara, a nation reborn

[Al-khiyal]

October 31st - - Before violence broke out in Algeria in 1992, the country's vast southern desert region was developing into a major tourist destination. After years of tourism drought in the breathtaking Tassili and Hoggar mountain ranges, local tour operators report of a new boom in arrivals. National statistics prove they are right.

Helge Baardseth was a tour guide for Scandinavian charter adventure tourists visiting the Algerian desert region in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Since the political trouble tore Algeria apart in 1992, there were no tourists to lead to the country, but in February, Mr Baardseth plans to return to the Hoggar Mountains for the first time with a group of ten Norwegian climbers, longing to revive Algerian memories from happier days.

The Scandinavians are in no way risk seeking pioneers; they are indeed following a trend that set off last year. The provincial authority of Illizi, which hosts the UNESCO-registered World Heritage Site of Tassili n'Ajjer, recently published its 2005 report noting that almost 16,000 tourists had visited the province last year, much more than the pessimistic projection of 5,700 foreign visitors.

Also this year, the Tassili region in the far south of Algeria foresees a "promising tourist season," the state news agency APS reported today. Only in October, more than 1,200 tourists from different European countries had visited the region located 1925 kilometres southeast of Algiers, arriving by air and by road. Arrivals - which normally are at their peak during winter - were set to beat 2005 numbers.

This is also confirmed by Cherif Amouche, a local tour operator organising 4WD excursions into the desert and mountains from his base in Djanet, the main town in the Tassili Massive close to the Libyan border. Mr Amouche says the tourism industry in Djanet has been lifeless for 15 years, but holds that things started booming last year.

In February, Mr Amouche looks forward to receive Mr Baardseth and his group of Scandinavians, as he did annually 15 years ago. Gourmet cooks and local guides, drivers and mechanics are to accompany the tourists on their 4WD expedition into the Hoggar, where the group plans to engage in mountain hiking and climbing in one of the world's most spectacular ranges. The costly tour is sure to generate revenues and employment in the small desert society.

Mr Baardseth and his group are all excited about their return to the Algerian south. "It has been a long-felt need among adventure tourist," he told afrol News, adding that the 15-year break in trips to the Algerian desert had "left a notable and unwanted white spot on the map."

Charter tours to the famous destinations of Tamanrasset, Djanet, Hoggar and Tassili n'Ajjer were impossible to organise after 1992. "It was difficult to take tourists to the region when the newspapers were full of reports of political violence in Algeria, and it was problematic that one had to make a stop-over in Algiers," Mr Baardseth said.

While the Algerian warfare between Islamists and the government ended several years ago, Algiers has yet to gain full control of its vast desert south. Al Qaeda affiliated groups are operating along the southern border. In 2003, a group of 32 European tourists were kidnapped in the desert. Still, the situation is tense in many parts of Algeria. Only today, terrorists detonated bombs outside two police stations in Reghaia, outside Algiers.

Generally, however, the security situation has improved strongly in Algeria. In the opinion of Mr Baardseth, it is now safe enough to participate in organised tours in the country. "The conflicts that earlier made the area insecure by now seem resolved, at least to such a degree that it is no longer necessary choosing not to go there," he told afrol News.

This is also the message that Algerian authorities want to communicate, as the general image of the country abroad is still one of violence and terror. For the last two years, Algiers has reformed its legislation to ease foreign and local investments in the tourism sector. The government qualifies the country's tourism resources its "second oil resource," referring to its main export article, petroleum.

The message has reached through in some parts of the world, as in particular French investments in the sector are rapidly increasing. By now, there is even a French discount airliner, Aigle Azur, flying non-stop from several cities in France to Djanet and Tamanrasset the desert and to coastal cities like Algiers, Oran and Annaba.

Not everybody agrees to these optimistic security assessments, however. The US State Department still advises its citizens against travelling to Algeria, saying "the security environment in rural and remote areas continues to pose a significant security risk." The British Foreign Office, which updated its Algerian travel advises only last week, reminds Britons that "there is a continuing threat from terrorism in Algeria."

Algeria desert tourism finally recovering

[Al-khiyal]

Developing the southern desert regions and averting the exodus to northern cities has become a national priority for Algeria. The country's environment has been suffering from rapid population growth and poor land planning, which is why the government is committing itself to a policy of investing in the region and its people.

According to the Algerian daily, La Tribune, 40,000 hectares of land are threatened by desertification every year. This trend will have a significant impact on migration in the coming ten years.

Last week, Algeria hosted the International Festival of Cultures and Civilisations of Desert Peoples - a week-long event which focused on the fight against desertification and celebrated desert peoples from around the world.

Environmentalists in Algeria are looking to create national parks in some of these desert regions. "Creating national parks in desert regions will mean that they will be protected, and this will improve standards of living for local people," Amina Fellous, assistant director of the National Nature Conservation Agency, told Magharebia.

Some desert regions in the south of country, such as Taghit, have immense natural resources unspoilt by man or nature. Taghit is an oasis located 700 miles south-west of Algiers and 55 miles south-west of Bechar. Situated at the western edge of the Great Erg Occidental, this small region abounds in culture and natural treasures which draw large numbers of tourists.

This would make it the perfect site for a national park, which would also create jobs for local young people and help allay their longing to head north. "There is a lack of national parks in the desert and creating them will definitely help protect the region’s geomorphology," Fellous said.

In a recent lecture on the project, Fellous discussed the programme's benefits. "The creation of a national park in Taghit will also provide jobs for young people and protect the environment," she said.

The area boasts diverse animal and plant life which should ensure a peaceful and serene environment for all, Fellous said, but she is concerned that "pollution, especially by domestic sewage, is heavily damaging the environment and this needs to be addressed immediately. If a national park can be created, this will renew the region."

The forest conservation agency has already begun planting trees that can adapt to the desert. They are also looking for ways to revive the desert and halt its expansion towards the north. In addition, plans are under way for an agricultural investment project in the southern desert region to create jobs for young people so they will not "desert" their native region.

Algeria looks to develop its deserts

[Al-khiyal]

ALGER, 23 déc (IPS) - L’Algérie, pays du Nord de l’Afrique couvert à 90 pour cent par le désert, est guettée par un danger : le désert du Sud pourrait bien joindre les côtes méditerranéennes du Nord si rien n’est fait, avertit le président algérien, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

C’était à l’occasion de la 3ème édition du Festival international des cultures et civilisations des peuples des déserts tenue du 13 au 20 décembre derniers à Alger.

Durant de longues années, explique le président Bouteflika, ‘’l’Algérie a perdu, chaque année, 40.000 hectares de ses terres les plus fertiles à cause de la désertification’’.

La désertification a touché treize millions d’hectares de terre au cours des dix dernières années, à en croire les estimations faites par le ministère algérien de l’Agriculture.

Le désert aujourd’hui ne se trouve plus qu’à 200 kilomètres de la côte méditerranéenne. Il y a une dizaine d’années, il était à quelques dizaines de kilomètres plus loin, estime le Haut commissariat au développement de la steppe (HCDS).

L’Algérie, avec une superficie de 2.381.740 km2, s’étend des limites des Républiques du Mali et du Niger, au Sud, jusqu’à la Méditerranée, au Nord. Le Sud de ce pays et une grande partie du Nord sont entièrement désertiques.

Bouteflika a alors voulu réveiller les esprits et attirer les attentions sur les ravages du désert dans son pays même si, de l’avis de plusieurs experts, comme Lakhdar Brouri du Hcds, ‘’le désert est aujourd’hui ralenti dans sa progression vers le nord grâce aux différents ouvrages réalisés pour le contrer’’.

Le plus spectaculaire, rappelle le chef de l’Etat algérien, c’est la mise en place, dans les années 70, d’un projet de grande envergure dénommé ‘’barrage vert’’.

Le barrage vert s’étend sur une superficie de 3.225.529 hectares, soit 1,36 pour cent de la superficie totale du pays. D’une longueur de 400 km contre 150 km de large, le barrage vert consiste à ériger une étendue de verdure entre le Sud désertique et le Nord méditerranéen.

Malik Raheb, ingénieur agronome, spécialiste en conservation des forets à Ghardaïa, 800 kilomètres au sud d’Alger, estime que le barrage vert a montré ses limites dans la protection des zones du Nord contre l’avancée du désert.

‘’Le surpâturage destructeur du couvert végétal, la surexploitation de la superficie et le déboisement à outrance ont été à l’origine de l’échec de cette initiative’’, estime Raheb.

Le pays a également mis en place, dans la même période, les premiers chantiers populaires, notamment l’édification de 1.000 points d'eau dans le désert et d'autant de digues de déviation des crues d'oued pour les utiliser comme eaux d'épandage.

Toujours pour apporter une réponse efficace à l’avancée du désert, le gouvernement algérien a créé, en 1981, le Hcds dont la mission est de régénérer et protéger la steppe algérienne, confie Raheb.

La steppe algérienne est une ceinture végétale, plus grande et plus vaste que le barrage vert, dont le but est de protéger la côte méditerranéenne contre l’avancée du désert. Elle s’étend sur une superficie de 32 millions d’hectares, à travers 23 wilayas – départements - au sud du pays. Elle se situe justement à 200 km au sud d’Alger.

C’est un vaste territoire est habité par plus de 7,2 millions d’habitants dont les revenus dépendent essentiellement de l’élevage (18 millions de têtes d’ovins).

La population totale de l’Algérie est de 33 millions d’habitants, selon les estimations de 2006.

Le Hcds indique que depuis sa création, 2,6 millions d’hectares de steppe ont été restaurés, et sept millions d’hectares restent à restaurer.

Brouri se félicite des résultats obtenus sur le terrain. ‘’Nos efforts sur le terrain ont porté leurs fruits. Nous avons redonné espoir à la population qui vit dans cet espace’’.

Toujours au nombre des initiatives qui tendent à freiner l’avancée du désert en Algérie, il y a également la valorisation de la vallée de la Saoura par la création du parc national de Taghit dont Amina Fellous, sous directrice de l’Agence nationale de la conservation de la nature (ACNN), a développé les grands aspects lors de la conférence.

Taghit est une oasis située à 1.100 kilomètres au sud-ouest d’Alger. La région présente des richesses culturelles, touristiques et naturelles qui y ont favorisé la création d’un parc national.

‘’Les parcs nationaux manquent dans le désert et leur création permet de protéger leur géomorphologie’’, explique Fellous.

Le premier responsable de l’association des amis de la Saoura, Mohamed Bendada, déclare à IPS qu’ ‘’avec la réalisation du parc national de Taghit, la faune et la flore sont préservées et la population locale est encouragée à y rester’’.

Le résultat de toutes ces actions d’envergure est que, ‘’aujourd’hui, le désert est très bien contrôlé en Algérie depuis que le Hcds a investi le terrain et a réalisé un grand exploit dans la lutte contre la désertification’’, estime Brouri.

Tous ces projets ne rassurent pas pour autant le président Bouteflika qui qualifie ces actions de ‘’résultats partiels‘’, d’où d’ailleurs ses inquiétudes exprimées lors de la conférence internationale sur les déserts.

Heureusement, il y a de l’espoir en vue. Le gouvernement algérien vient de mettre à la disposition des structures de lutte contre la désertification une enveloppe de 2,5 milliards de dollars pour assurer le développement du ‘’grand Sud’’.

Le désert du Sud pourrait joindre un jour la Méditerranée...

[Al-khiyal]

ALGIERS, Feb 27 (IPS) - In May, Algeria will inaugurate a reserve around a small oasis in the south-west where plants and animals are to be protected in the service of a broader goal. Hopes are that the Taghit National Park will help stop the advance of the Sahara Desert, which already stretches across almost all of this North African country.

The project was initiated by the Friends of the Sahara Association - a founder member of the National Committee of Algerian NGOs Against Desertification - and the National Agency for the Conservation of Nature (Agence nationale pour la conservation de la nature, ANCN).

"The Taghit National Park covers a surface area of 250,000 hectares, which could be extended to 500,000 hectares with the inclusion of the neighboring Guir region," said Amina Fellous, an engineer at ANCN, which is tasked with leading the project.

The reserve is to include areas isolated from human activity, as well as perimeter zones where various pursuits - even for light and medium-sized industries - will be permitted on condition that they do not pollute, Fellous explained to IPS.

"In Taghit, any socio-economic activity having negative effects on water resources will not be allowed," she noted.

The project will seek to protect grasslands and restore palm groves, renew the planting of acacias, and reforest denuded land with indigenous species for the benefit of migratory species. Water points will be established in the park, and efforts made to develop the region's plant genetic resources.

The list of mammals to be protected makes mention of about 33 species, including the threatened sand dune cat, fennec (a small fox), Barbary sheep and three types of gazelle. (The term Barbary derives from the Berber people, and was formerly used by Europeans to refer to North Africa.)

To date, no less than 107 species of birds have been documented in the area - but an exhaustive list has yet to be compiled during different seasons, so as to include migratory birds.

About twenty birds feature on the list of protected species of Algeria. Some, like the houbara bustard, have become the subject of international conservation efforts.

Sixteen bird species that congregate around the Taghit oasis are considered endemic to North Africa and the Middle East, notably the Barbary partridge, houbara bustard and lanner falcon.

Furthermore, the Taghit park will aim to protect and promote the archaeological heritage of the area - and to develop tourist facilities that are in harmony with their surroundings.

Conservation will also support agricultural activity, says Malik Raheb: an agricultural engineer involved in conservation of forests at Ghardaïa, south of the capital - Algiers.

"The creation of the Taghit National Park, aside from its role of being a barrier to the desert, will also allow a still greater response to the agricultural needs of people in the region, as is already evidenced by the production of tomatoes and potatoes."

Fighting desertification through conservation

[Al-khiyal]

An oasis village buried under the sand

The Algerian regions of Touat and Gourara - which cover an area the size of France (400,000 sq km) - are among the hottest places on Earth, with summer temperatures reaching 50° C. The large desert plateaus are circled by the Grand Erg Occidental, an ocean of sand dunes covering more than 2,500sq km.

The oases scattered across this vast territory survive on water from the phreatic layer. These deep groundwater deposits occasionally come to the surface, where residents dig wells into water-bearing hillsides and develop underground networks to irrigate the oases below. This method of irrigation, known as foggaras, was originally created by the Babylonians, Persians and Arabs, and was brought to the Touat and Gourara regions in the 10th century, Common Era.

Historically, the distribution of water through the foggaras was determined according to each landowner's contribution to the construction and maintenance of the irrigation system. Water quotas have been recorded in registers and handed down through the generations for 11 centuries.

The effects of modernization and desertification threaten this ancestral system. During its push for agricultural liberalization in the 1990s, the Algerian government largely abandoned its anti-erosion programmes from the 1960s and 1970s. Many farmers chose to leave the oases, throw themselves into modern agriculture, and dig wells to irrigate large desert expanses.

The foggara system distributes water throughout the gardens

This trend towards industrial-scale production, particularly of grains and tomatoes, has had an adverse impact on regional water tables. "Unlike traditional agriculture as practised in the oases, situated below the plateaus, modern agriculture takes place on the plateaus, which reduces the flow of underground water," explains Amar Madani, who works in agricultural management.

This problem is further compounded by recent discoveries of vast oil and gas reserves in the desert. A large Chinese oil refinery sprung up in Gourara, and other large-scale projects are under way in the region, including in the salt lake of Timimoune, where companies have found gas. "If ever they set up a factory here, it will spell the end of tourism and agriculture in the oases," local tour guide Belgacem El Hadi says.

Those living in the oases also bear their share of responsibility for the irrigation system's decline. The foggaras today are in poor shape "because of a lack of maintenance", says Bachir Kendil, a resident of Ouled Said, a Timimoune oasis. "Land owners have long preferred to work in commerce or administration and entrust their land to employees who, in turn, prefer to work for themselves on projects to exploit the land."

In 2000, the Algerian government initiated a National Plan for Agricultural Development (PNDA). The plan aims to rehabilitate irrigation systems, to reduce industrial water consumption through the introduction of drip-irrigation systems and to increase agricultural workers' incomes to stem rural flight.

However, oasis residents like Blekhiri Ahmed remain unaware of the programme. "Where has this money gone? I've never seen it, and I've never heard of a programme such as this! The palm trees are dying one after another, the water is becoming more and more scarce, and people here are disenchanted with working on the land."

Algeria's Saharan irrigation system threatened by modernisation and desertification

[Al-khiyal]

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