In the heart of the Mauritanian desert, the oases of Adrar remain bastions of life. With their palm groves, market gardening, and ancestral know-how, they constitute one of the rare ecosystems capable of reconciling agriculture, culture, and resilience. But this fragile balance is now under threat: water and labor shortages, declining yields, lack of sector structuring, etc. Faced with these challenges, the study conducted as part of the ADDOA project (Support for the Sustainable Development of the Adrar Oases, 2024-2027), funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and implemented by TENMIYA and CARI, sheds new light on the situation and proposes concrete courses of action.
A study to understand and take action
Conducted at the end of summer 2025 in the municipalities of Atar and Aoujeft, the study commissioned by the ADDOA project provided a comprehensive assessment of the oasis agricultural fabric: stakeholders, farms, agricultural sectors, and umbrella organizations. Nearly 80 interviews were conducted to understand the economic, social, and environmental realities of these territories. The results of this study will be used to better target the actions of the ongoing ADDOA project.
The results are clear: the sustainability of the oasis system is threatened by the depletion of water resources, the disorganization of agricultural value chains, and the lack of recognition of the economic role of women, who are nevertheless essential in the processing and marketing of dates and vegetables. The report also reveals the burden of poverty and unemployment in a region where the population depends mainly on date palms and palm-based crops for their livelihood.
Despite these constraints, the study highlights strong potential: date production of more than 2,500 tons per year, a rich diversity of local varieties, dynamic associations, and deep cultural roots around the oases. It recommends structured support for stakeholders, better territorial governance, and sustainable economic development of oasis products.
ADDOA: turning diagnosis into action
To address the challenges identified by Tenmiya and CARI, and detailed in this study, the ADDOA project aims to breathe new life and prospects into the region’s oases. It seeks to sustainably strengthen local dynamics for the preservation and promotion of the oasis system.
In concrete terms, the project supports:
- the establishment of a fund to support productive initiatives, enabling the financing of local micro-enterprises and cooperatives;
- capacity building for local agricultural stakeholders;
- the development of strategic plans for umbrella organizations;
- and interactive mapping of stakeholders and farms to facilitate municipal planning.
ADDOA is not limited to economic support: it also aims to institutionalize the sustainable development of oases in local policies by integrating oasis issues into the Communal Development Plans of Atar and Aoujeft. The project is thus a continuation of the Concerted Action Program for Oases (PACO) and the PICODEV project, while complementing the work of the European PROFOB project dedicated to female entrepreneurship in oases.
Towards a resilient and inclusive oasis economy
Beyond material and technical support, ADDOA seeks to foster a genuine collective dynamic. It promotes a participatory approach based on multi-stakeholder consultation: local authorities, technical services, cooperatives, unions, and financial institutions. Together, they are working to establish sustainable mechanisms for resource management, product promotion, and job creation for young people and women.
The challenge is clear: to turn the oases of the Adrar into hubs of rural innovation and climate resilience. By focusing on agroecology, inclusive local governance, and the economic promotion of traditional knowledge, ADDOA aims to demonstrate that oases are not relics of the past, but living laboratories for sustainable development adapted to arid areas.
