SPATIAL MAPPING OF THE EXTENSION TRAJECTORY : EXAMPLE OF THEE KEBILI-SUD REGION IN TUNISIA

The landscape of the oases of Kébili in the region south of Tunisia changed considerably between 1970 and 2020 in connection with the profound technical, socio-economic and social transformations. The rapid development of oasis extensions was triggered by economic factors, and was based on innovative means of access to water, land and energy. At first, they are created near old oases before expanding to other areas can be described as spontaneous, where farmers, farm new land outside the old oases. The objective of this study is (i) to analyse the trajectories of landscape change, (ii) to give an overview of socio-economic and environmental factors, and (iii) to understand the perception of local actors of the dynamics underway in oasis extensions. The study is based on spatial analysis, surveys and participatory workshops with actors from the Kebili region. Other extensions have been initiated on lands located far from the old oases, with the support of local land management councils. This development has improved the production of date palms and has also been the source of increased groundwater consumption. Stakeholders point out that the main threat to the sustainability of the Kebili region is the overexploitation of groundwater resources, but no discussion has yet begun on how to achieve this. The study highlights the need for contextual analysis of heterogeneous pathways of date palm extensions to inform sustainable natural resource management frameworks.