Morocco’s oases are under threat like never before. These challenges are driven by climate change, increased resource extraction and use, and other socioeconomic pressures. M’hammed Kilito is a resolutely poetic documentarian of oasis life. For the last four years, he has passionately documented the sad realities behind these vital but unfortunately endangered ecosystems. The Tighmert Oasis, in particular, has become a rallying point for the plight of these critical habitats.
Oases are unique ecosystems that rely on a delicate balance among three critical elements: abundant water, quality soil, and the presence of date palms. These natural components not only nourish the plants and animals that inhabit it, but they provide bountiful benefits to surrounding communities. Yet, this balance has tipped dangerously as desertification, frequent droughts, and rising temperatures have shattered this equilibrium.
The Tighmert Oasis is dependent on only one water source. In the last few years, the water table has receded significantly. In Morocco, droughts have increased significantly over the last 20-40 years. They are now required to happen every two years rather than every five years as was previously the case. These extreme and shifting climatic conditions are a major threat to the survival of oases themselves.
Climate change, in particular, is making droughts more common, Kilito explained. He claims that this, coupled with worsening agricultural practices and overexploitation of natural resources, endanger these migratory ecosystems. Besides environmental changes, rural exodus poses a major threat to oases. Thousands of youth are forced to migrate out of their villages in search of better prospects. Some are even planning to escape via illegal migration routes to the Canary Islands.
Mohammed’s family is one of just four that live in the village of Ait M’hanned, next door to Tighmert Oasis. Once home to 100 families, the village today represents the loss of the human heart in these ecologically essential regions. As the exodus deepens, families are now departing in even larger numbers. They are kicked out by the lack of employment opportunities and the increasing impacts of climate change.
One major piece driving this big crisis –one that touches all three facets above – is our country’s water management. As new wells began to be drilled, previously nonarable lands were now able to be farmed. Yet, the sustainability of these resources remains uncertain. While drilling wells is a short-term solution to a pressing issue, it is not without long-term climatic repercussions. Better water management is essential for the long-term survival of Moroccan oases.
Beyond their cultural significance, oases are ecological bulwarks against desertification, ecological forces that shelter a remarkable array of biodiversity. Cryptic species like the yellow bee, native to the Sahara, have their new life cut short by extinction risks in these delicate habitats. As water availability to plants declines, ecosystems are threatened. Plant life is put in immediate danger. It is endangering our entire web of life that is dependent on these precious ecosystems.
Kilito explains that although oases are vital for the environment and ecology, they are being forgotten more and more. In 2019, Greenpeace issued warnings about the looming threat of extinction facing these ecosystems due to rising temperatures and their impact on water resources. Climate change and human interference have done a number on the delicate balance that keeps our oases flourishing.
Access to date palms, key to producing the humid microclimate needed for plant growth in oases. The impacts from global warming are getting worse. With families moving north to cities such as Guelmim and Agadir, this important land and culture is still being lost at an alarming rate. The eventual death of local populations only adds to the many burdens these oases bear.