LAND MASTERY, MAJOR ISSUE FOR WETLANDS CONSERVATION IN RURAL AREAS: Case of Macta in northwestern Algerian.

Context and backgroundThe Macta wetland is a coveted and fragile area with a biodiversity hot-spot on the Algerian western coast and the southern shore of the Mediterranean. This rural area is affected by the increase of human activity linking, mainly, agricultural and pastoral practices. In the context of put into nature reserve for this wetland, the land mastery has become a major issue that currently represents a determining factor in the relationship between man and nature, on the one hand, and in the competition between interest groups for the exploitation of land and natural resources, on the other.Goal and Objectives:This study aims to analyze the influence of agricultural development policies and those of land on the implications of the actor’s active in the field and their interference with the initiatives to protect the Macta wetland.The objective was to identify the land and ecological issues at stake in putting into reserve this fragile rural space in order to establish a territorial development more adapted to the socio-economic and environmental conditions.Methodology:The working method adopted is based on the mapping of land using Geographic Information Systems with a diachronic approach covering the different stages of agrarian reform from the colonial period until today. The work was completed by field observations and interviews with actors active in the areaResults:Frequent changes in the policy of the agricultural sector have led to the appearance of over 9400 ha of surplus land,  or 50% of the area studied (municipality of Moctadouz), in which the interventions of the management authorities for the setting in nature reserve overlap with an agricultural development action by the locals. This has led to a number of problems represented by difficulties in the mastery of land use and land management, as well as conflicts between actors. These constraints have impacted all attempts to make the wetland a heritage site

Rechgoun, un espace à protéger sur le littoral ouest de l’Algérie

Situé sur le littoral occidental de l’Algérie, le site de Rechgoun est un exemple intéressant de conflit entre urbanisation d’une part, et protection de l’agriculture, de l’environnement et du patrimoine historique d’autre part. Après des décennies d’extension urbaine quasiment anarchique, de nouveaux instruments juridiques, au service d’une autre politique de développement du littoral, sont mis en œuvre avec difficultés.Situated on the western coast of Algeria, the site of Rechgoun is an interesting example of the conflict between urbanization on the one hand and protection of agriculture, environment and the historical patrimony on the other. After decades of almost anarchical urban expansion, a coastal development policy has put into practice, though with difficulty, new legal instruments

La zone humide de la Macta : un espace à protéger sur le littoral ouest de l'Algérie

Macta is a complex of coastal marshes fed by a dense and temporary river network. This wetland hosts rich biotopes and biocenoses, and represent therefore an important biodiversity spot for Algeria and even for the Mediterranean Basin. Increasing anthropogenic pressure resulted in a constant environmental perturbation of this fragile ecosystem. The registration of La Macta, in 2002, as a wetland to be protected in the frame of Ramsar Convention, together with the promulgation of a national littoral protection act, will eventually ensure integrated and sustainable protection of this area. However, our field investigations as well as interviews with actors involved in the management of Macta marshes, highlighted continuous serious difficulties for the implementation of recommended measures of protection

Urbanisation côtière en Algérie, Processus et impacts sur l’environnement : Le cas de la baie d’Aïn el Turck

À quelques kilomètres d’Oran, la zone côtière d’Aïn el Turck connue auparavant pour ses belles plages, a subi depuis quelques décennies une urbanisation incontrôlée touchant essentiellement son domaine public maritime (DPM). Actuellement, sur les parties hautes des plages comme Saint Roch, Paradis, Bouisseville ou Trouville s’alignent des villas de un à deux étages, des garages à bateaux et de grands hôtels. L’empiètement sur ces espaces pourtant protégés par plusieurs lois a participé à l’érosion de la bande sableuse et à la régression de l’activité touristique balnéaire. Une situation qui reflète une nette difficulté dans la gestion et la protection de cet espace convoité et fragile.Notre étude de la zone côtière d’Aïn el Turck va aborder quatre points : la relation entre la « bétonisation » du rivage et le changement du trait de côte, l’évolution de l’urbanisation et les stratégies d’occupations, les types de concurrence qui existent entre différents usagers sur l’appropriation du foncier littoral et enfin, les difficultés éprouvées dans la protection du domaine public maritime par les services gestionnaires. La méthode du travail est basée essentiellement sur deux approches : la première est la comparaison entre plusieurs photos aériennes, à différentes dates, pour l’identification des changements naturels affectant le rivage en relation avec l’évolution de l’urbanisation de la côte. La seconde est la réalisation d’entretiens avec les principaux acteurs du territoire et l’analyse des discours formulés par les différents groupes d’intérêts, souvent en situation de conflit.A few kilometres from Oran, the coastal area of Ain el Turck previously known for its beautiful beaches, has suffered in recent decades uncontrolled urbanization affecting mainly the maritime public domain (DPM). Currently, the upper parts of beaches like St. Roch, Paradis, Trouville, Bouisseville or lined with villas from one to two floors, garages for boats and large hotels. Encroachment on these areas yet protected by several laws, participated in the erosion of the sandbank and the decline of seaside tourism. This reflected a marked difficulty in managing and protecting this fragile and coveted space.Our study of the coastal area of Ain el Turck will address four points: the relationship between 'concretisation' of shoreline and shoreline change, the evolution of urbanization and occupation strategies, types of competition between different users on the ownership of coastal land and finally, the difficulties in protecting the maritime public by managing services.The method of work is essentially based on two approaches:the first is the comparison between several aerial photographs at different dates, for identifying changes affecting the natural shoreline in relation to the evolution of the urbanization of the coast. The second is conducting interviews with stakeholders in the area and analysis of speeches made by various interest groups, often in conflict

La littoralisation dans l’Ouest algérien : analyse multiscalaire des interactions hommes-espaces-écosystèmes

The environmental degradation of the west coast of Algeria has reached alarming proportions. The causes are mainly related to coastal development through rapid urbanization and excessive exploitation of natural resources. In this paper, the study of coastal development will be considered both at the local and regional level. First, the analysis will deal with the evolution of coastal development in the western region of Algeria. This quantitative and temporal analysis will provide information on the importance of the coastline for its hinterland. After, through case studies, the article will consider different forms of competition between actors, the exploitation of natural resources and the failure of management tools in the sustainable development of coastal areas

Urbanisation côtière en Algérie, Processus et impacts sur l'environnement : le cas de la baie d'Aïn el Turck

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Urbanisation côtière en Algérie, Processus et impacts sur l’environnement : Le cas de la baie d’Aïn el Turck

A few kilometres from Oran, the coastal area of Ain el Turck previously known for its beautiful beaches, has suffered in recent decades uncontrolled urbanization affecting mainly the maritime public domain (DPM). Currently, the upper parts of beaches like St. Roch, Paradis, Trouville, Bouisseville or lined with villas from one to two floors, garages for boats and large hotels. Encroachment on these areas yet protected by several laws, participated in the erosion of the sandbank and the decline of seaside tourism. This reflected a marked difficulty in managing and protecting this fragile and coveted space.Our study of the coastal area of Ain el Turck will address four points: the relationship between 'concretisation' of shoreline and shoreline change, the evolution of urbanization and occupation strategies, types of competition between different users on the ownership of coastal land and finally, the difficulties in protecting the maritime public by managing services.The method of work is essentially based on two approaches:the first is the comparison between several aerial photographs at different dates, for identifying changes affecting the natural shoreline in relation to the evolution of the urbanization of the coast. The second is conducting interviews with stakeholders in the area and analysis of speeches made by various interest groups, often in conflict

La zone humide de la Macta : un espace à protéger sur le littoral ouest de l'Algérie

Macta is a complex of coastal marshes fed by a dense and temporary river network. This wetland hosts rich biotopes and biocenoses, and represent therefore an important biodiversity spot for Algeria and even for the Mediterranean Basin. Increasing anthropogenic pressure resulted in a constant environmental perturbation of this fragile ecosystem. The registration of La Macta, in 2002, as a wetland to be protected in the frame of Ramsar Convention, together with the promulgation of a national littoral protection act, will eventually ensure integrated and sustainable protection of this area. However, our field investigations as well as interviews with actors involved in the management of Macta marshes, highlighted continuous serious difficulties for the implementation of recommended measures of protection

La littoralisation dans l’Ouest algérien : analyse multiscalaire des interactions hommes-espaces-écosystèmes

La dégradation de l’environnement sur le littoral ouest de l’Algérie a atteint un degré inquiétant. Les causes sont principalement par une urbanisation accélérée et une exploitation excessive de ses ressources naturelles. Dans cet article, l’étude de la littoralisation sera abordée à travers deux échelles régionale et locale. Pour le premier niveau, l’analyse abordera les facteurs intervenant dans l’évolution de la littoralisation dans la région ouest de l’Algérie. Cette analyse quantitative et temporelle, renseigne sur le poids du littoral par rapport à son arrière-pays. Pour le second niveau, l’analyse traitera les différents conflits entre acteurs, les inégalités de partage des ressources naturelles et le non respect des outils de gestion pour un développement durable.The environmental degradation of the west coast of Algeria has reached alarming proportions. The causes are mainly related to coastal development through rapid urbanization and excessive exploitation of natural resources. In this paper, the study of coastal development will be considered both at the local and regional level. First, the analysis will deal with the evolution of coastal development in the western region of Algeria. This quantitative and temporal analysis will provide information on the importance of the coastline for its hinterland. After, through case studies, the article will consider different forms of competition between actors, the exploitation of natural resources and the failure of management tools in the sustainable development of coastal areas

Développement du tourisme balnéaire en Algérie face à la problématique de protection des espaces littoraux. Le cas des côtes mostaganemoises

The seaside tourism plays a fundamental role in the economic development of the Mediterranean countries. Temperate climate, sandy beaches and natural coastal landscape are the support to this new activity. If in many countries such as Spain, Morocco, Tunisia and France, etc., the tourism development is diffused over a wide area of the coast, it remains very limited phenomenon in Algeria and out of step with real request of the population. The will of the Algerian state to make of the seaside tourism a generative financial activity with the objective to limit the dependence of the energy income, faced many difficulties such land issues and dysfunctions between development tools and those of nature protection.In this article, the objective is, through the case of the Mostaganem coast, to discuss the evolution of the institutional capacities regarding the seaside tourism and his implementation on the ground while analyzing the specifities of socioeconomic and natural context in a local scale