In the heart of Mauritania’s Adrar region, the commune of Aoujeft is home to a unique living heritage: thousand-year-old palm groves, ancestral agricultural knowledge, and the women and men who bring the desert to life. But this ecosystem, vital to the region, is now showing signs of fragility.
To better understand the threats to the oases and identify sustainable solutions, an in-depth study was conducted in 2025 as part of the ADDOA project – Support for the Sustainable Development of the Adrar Oases, implemented by Tenmiya and CARI, with the support of the French Development Agency (AFD).
A vital ecosystem under pressure
With its 170,000 date palms and an annual production of around 2,800 tons, Aoujeft is one of the economic hubs of the Adrar region. The palm tree structures agricultural, social, and environmental life.
But according to the diagnostic report, this stability is under threat: water scarcity, desertification, soil salinization, palm tree diseases, and disorganization of the supply chain are weakening the entire oasis system.
Producers are adapting, but the constraints are mounting: “The wells are drying up, the young people are leaving, and the land is becoming exhausted,” says a farmer we met in the El Meddah palm grove. Without structured support, these difficulties could quickly compromise the sustainability of the oasis model.
Water, a vital issue and a factor of inequality
The study highlights the alarming decline in groundwater levels. Farmers are turning to deep boreholes powered by solar pumps, which are expensive to maintain.
This model accentuates inequalities in access to water between the valley areas and the Dhar plateau. Collective management and concerted planning of water resources appear to be major priorities for the municipality.
Soils threatened by wind and salt
Sand encroachment and soil degradation are identified as structural threats. Dunes are advancing, plots are becoming buried, and productivity is declining. Added to this is salinization linked to uncontrolled irrigation.
The report recommends simple measures: reforestation with local species, restoration of hedgerows, mulching, composting, and mechanical dune stabilization. These agroecological practices, already tested in some villages, reduce water loss and restore fertility.
The date palm, a vulnerable giant
Diseases and pests—particularly heart rot and a local disease known as “Ghagha”—are a cause for concern among producers. Without the means to diagnose and monitor these problems, responses often remain empirical.
The study recommends strengthening phytosanitary surveillance, training farmers, and developing biological control using natural products (neem, garlic, chili peppers). Preserving the palm tree is essential to the resilience of the oasis.
Women and young people, drivers of local resilience
The women of Aoujeft are at the heart of the oasis economy: date processing, market gardening, and crafts. However, their access to credit, training, and equipment remains limited.
The report calls for their economic role to be enhanced through dedicated support funds and the promotion of female entrepreneurship. Young people, meanwhile, struggle to find their place in a demanding agricultural sector. The ADDOA project aims to support their commitment through green employment initiatives and appropriate technical training.
Concrete courses of action
The study makes operational recommendations:
- Fix the dunes and restore the vegetation belts;
- Rehabilitate wells and generalize water-efficient irrigation;
- Structure the date and market gardening sectors;
- Strengthen local governance through concerted planning;
- Network cooperatives to pool equipment and share knowledge.
These are all levers that the ADDOA project is already mobilizing on the ground to breathe new life into the oases.
Preserving a living heritage
The Aoujeft study reminds us that oases are not relics of the past, but models of balance between humans and nature. The challenges are many, but solutions exist, provided that we focus on consultation, knowledge transfer, and local innovation.
Through ADDOA, Tenmiya and CARI are supporting this transition towards sustainable oasis development, where women, young people, and producers become the true guardians of a unique ecological and cultural heritage in the Mauritanian Sahara.
