Contenu du sommaire : Ressources en milieu sec

This paper aims to show the main features of the Kabylian rural environment and to take hold of the major transformations since the independence. Indeed, after a period of rural rebirth which followed sovereignty, the heavy tendencies during the last twenty years have radically upset the socio-demographic and spatio-economic structure of the countryside. The recombining process which affects the various components of the rural areas, resulted in : a constant fall of the weight of agriculture in the rural economy, a demographic trend reversal, the appearance of new economic activities, a massive rural depopulation and urbanization of rural areas.

For twenty years, the Algerian steppes, which play a fundamental role in the agricultural economy of the country, have experienced deep changes in the spatial occupation and management, associated with the loss of the balance between pastoral production systems and available resources. The example of the municipality of Ras El Ma, located in the Western steppes, shows that this loss of balance is explained in large part by increasing constraints due to climate change (rising temperatures, reduced rainfall and accentuation of the irregularity of the seasonal distribution), but also by mutations linked to the evolution of society (population growth associated with a sedentary lifestyle and a concentration of population, evolution in production systems and rangeland use patterns), which are also connected with climate change. Indeed, the constraints of the new bioclimatic context led to certain forms of adaptation, including the passage from a pastoral system to an agro-pastoral system, a strong increase in livestock and an extension of episodic cultivation of cereals at the expense of steppe rangelands. These adaptations have amplified the impact on the environment and the pastoral crisis, with the introduction of development techniques unsuited to the fragile environment of the steppes. This example illustrates the importance of taking into account the interactions between societies and the environment in the analysis of the issues of climate change.

Although the extensive systems of breeding are depreciated and the importance of herding is minimized by the local agricultural services, interviews with shepherds have shown the importance of this type of farming in the North-East of Algeria. Also, we noted a diversity of practices and know-how of shepherds, who adapt at best to their environment by herding patterns and choices based on multiple criteria trail routes, including size and composition of herds, seasons and the specific landform of each zone (plain or mountain). These practices allow to value at best the environment and support a sustainable resource management. However, they are threatened by changing patterns of herding cattle, which particularly affect young generations by lack of know-how and interest for livestock farming and shepherd's abilities.

Local products and traditional practices in agriculture are back and more and more significant in contemporary economies. Countries and country products upraise major economic stakes and suggest opportunities for a local sustainable development. In Morocco those new trends focus on the prickly pear, also called “aknari”. South Morocco experimented a large and recent spreading of this crop, especially in the region of Aït Baâmrane (Western Anti-Atlas). This culture challenges traditional agrarian systems based on the argan tree, goat breeding and culture of the barley. This culture increased and actually has a significant impact on socioeconomic and environmental dynamics. The culture of the prickly pear appears as a substantial economic resource for the populations of the Moroccan Anti-Atlas and is considered as efficient in land degradation control. A new scientific field of research thus opens : how to mobilize the country to work for the territory.

In the Sahel, woody species play an important role in feeding livestock in any season. This study is an analysis of the current status and the use of these woody species in six villages (Keur Momar Sarr, Syer, Mbar Toubab, Widou Thiengoly, Téssékéré and Labgar) of Ferlo-North along an east-west ecological gradient factor. It combines an ecological approach and ethno-botanical surveys of local populations. The 120 dendrometric field surveys and the 52 interviews, allowed us to list 42 species belonging to 33 genera and 18 families. Fabaceae and Combretaceae are the most represented families. Some species (Balanites aegyptiaca, Boscia senegalensis, Calotropis procera and Acacia tortilis var. raddiana) despite their interest for the population (fodder, food, traditional medicine and household energy) are predominant in the area. Floristic richness, aerial cover and the actual density are more important in Widou Thiengoly, Téssékéré and Labgar (east of the area of six holes) compared to other sites located west of Lake Guiers area.

This contribution (a research program supported by the Région Centre, France) aims to decrypt the relationship between the inhabitants of Barani, a landlocked Burkina Faso's village on the border with Mali, and vegetation. A series of interviews with farmers and field surveys reveal a complex relationship to plants, away from a binary approach, good/bad, useful/useless. Barani's agriculture is based on a few crops, the most important being millet. The choice of these crops and their distribution are done with extreme care. They are dependent on spontaneous vegetation, for the fields where a special attention is drawn to the crops as well as the wilder areas. This vegetation, at the heart of the agrarian system, is the result of a subtle balance between the environmental constraints, the needs and resources of people, all guided by cultural habits.

The Western part of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a grey zone owing to the socio-spatial contradictions it has experienced for several decades. This zone which ranks third widest national entity (30.750 km2) and second most populated entity (1.5 million inhabitants) is a set of three administrative regions (Tonkpi, Guemon, Cavally) and is both the economic future of the country due to the presence of forest, agricultural and mining resources, and a place of recurrent armed conflict deriving from civil wars suffered by some West African States (Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire). This situation which comprises many consequences, deserves to be stopped through security strengthening democratic measures in this area at the risk of affecting the country's economic stability.