Algerian Sahara has one of the oldest sources of irrigation and water supply, named El-Foggara
The Algerian Sahara has one of the oldest sources of irrigation and water supply, named El-Foggara, which is now threatened with extinction, so many palms are going to dry up, and so many oases are prone to desertification.
According to an academic consensus, Foggaras date back to the 11th century, and were first used in Iran. It is a method based on digging a group of wells connected to an underground aquifer in an area of higher altitude. The underground water is then transported to the areas of lower altitude, where people settle, cultivate the land, and exploit water for irrigation, drinking and various other uses.
In the face of ever-continuing changing of the climate, indigenous populations have also reflected the slow-moving change of their terrain. The inhabitants of Adrar, southwestern Algeria, still depend on “Foggaras”, the traditional method of supplying drinking water.
