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Oasis agriculture
Increasing environmental pressures threaten, according to this study, to accelerate degradation of Mauritania"s oasis farming subsector and to hinder realization of its potential for rationalizing and controlling exploitation and for creating new ecosystems based on use of underground water resources.
1970
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Abstract
Major chapters of the study provide basic information on the physical and human environment for oasis farming and on the technico-economic problems of subsector production systems. Also discussed are key production-related problems such as land tenure rights, marketing and storage, training and research, and the subsector"s relation to other farming activities and its environmental effects. Included is a critical examination of documentation on past and current development activities in the subsector. It was found that although oasis farming contributes 25-35% of Mauritania"s gross agricultural production, returns the highest profit for labor, and is basic to survival of desert dwellers, attempts to improve production through modern technology have had negative results, as have institutional attempts to preserve oasis areas. Recommendations are made for medium- and long-term programs focusing on improving knowledge of the subsector, developing a master plan for safeguarding threatened oases, and finding adaptable models for Sahelian-type production systems.
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