Evaluation of sustainable land management approaches and techniques in Eastern Rif region

Abstract

The Eastern Rif region suffers from increased degradation which threatens the sustainability of all its natural resources. However, no scientific and precise assessment data on degradation is available at this scale. For this, it was necessary to develop a model for evaluating this degradation, based on the application of the LADA/WOCAT method in order to better quantify the degradation at the level of the Eastern Rif and produce the necessary elements for decision support. Land degradation covers the entire Rif territory with different proportions depending on the type of degradation, of which water erosion ranks first with 81%. The spatial analysis was able to demonstrate that only 4% of the territory is occupied by sustainable land management practices, however traditional agricultural practices and localized effect land conservation practices which present the lowest level of effectiveness, cover 80 % of the territory. The most significant impact in the Eastern Rif is the impact on land productivity on 76% of the entire territory. This impact is driven by several direct and indirect causes, namely demographic pressure where the problem of poverty presents a high rate of around 70%, a problem of governance which affects 22% of the Rif territory and deforestation with 19%, which presents a serious problem especially in regions where cannabis cultivation takes place. However, and in order to preserve the land in the Eastern Rif, it will be wise to strengthen and train human capacities for action against land degradation while involving the native population in the development of more effective sustainable land management practices, durable in time and space.

Keywords: Soil degradation, sustainable land management practices, LADA/WOCAT, Eastern Rif