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Analysis of water and soil conservation techniques at the Ain Sefra arid watershed (Ksour Mountains, southwest Algeria)

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Abstract

In Algeria, the arid steppe watershed currently suffers from serious environmental problems, including land degradation, poor water resource management, soil conservation, and land cover management. This situation is manifested by several events such as soil erosion, depletion of water resources, and loss of biodiversity, which are partly related to the acceleration of the soil degradation process. In order to improve the functioning of ecosystems in these watersheds, public authorities and farmers have undertaken restoration and protection efforts through land-use planning programs. The objective of this study is to test the stability, reliability, and anti-erosion effectiveness of these anti-erosion developments that currently exist on three sites, Sfissifa, Belguered, and Ain Sefra, in the face of the exceptional extreme rainfall events recorded especially in 2007–2008 (250 mm), both on cultivated land and in pasture and forest areas. We found that the traditional techniques generally used by farmers (terraces, stone cordons, toub walls, use of manure, cultivation in tanks and on ridges) have a great positive impact on water and soil conservation at the level of the cultivated plots. In addition, the modern techniques developed by the State (torrential correction, hill retention, reforestation) have proved to be very useful for water and soil conservation on a large scale, i.e., at the level of watersheds. This combination of these two types of development is almost indispensable to ensure a very positive impact on land productivity and the reduction of the risk of degradation.

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Notes

  1. The toub is a mixture of clay, water, and crushed straw or other binder. It is used for the construction of walls when it is shaped into bricks dried from the sun.

  2. Water storage structures using natural or dug depressions. This water is used for domestic purposes such as washing, watering gardens and vegetable gardens, and watering livestock.

  3. Diversion and collection pipes made of earth, arranged stone, or reinforced concrete.

  4. Water catchment works upstream of a dike, generally made of earth and transversely to a temporary watercourse equipped with a sort of lateral spillway, with a capacity of a few thousand cubic meters; it is generally repaired or completely rebuilt after each high flood by the touiza (voluntary work).

  5. Board cultivation

  6. Surface water and runoff that includes the network of wadis, as well as at the level of certain gullies, are stored in the Jboub that were built by the population to take advantage of these waters (watering), their activity taking place only in times of flood.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Applied Hydrology and Environment (LHYDENV), Abou Bakr Belkaïd University, BP 230, New Campus, 13000, Tlemcen, Algeria

    Ahmed Melalih

  2. Laboratory of Applied Hydrology and Environment (LHYDENV), Aïn Temouchent University Center, BP 284, 46000, Aïn Temouchent, Algeria

    Ahmed Melalih & Mohamed Mazour

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  1. Ahmed Melalih
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  2. Mohamed Mazour
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Melalih, A., Mazour, M. Analysis of water and soil conservation techniques at the Ain Sefra arid watershed (Ksour Mountains, southwest Algeria). Environ Monit Assess 193, 33 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08842-w

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