The Euro-Mediterranean partnership: a participatory demonstration project to fight desertification in Morocco and Tunisia

A participatory demonstration project on desertification mitigation and rural development has been launched in Northern Africa under SMAP Programme (Short and Medium-term priority environmental Action Programme) financed by the European Union. The project, whose title is "Demonstration Project on Strategies to Combct Desertification in Arid Lands with Direct Involvement of Local Agro-pastoral Communities in North Ajrica ". is carried out in sensitive regions in Morocco and Tunisia with the coordination of the NRD of the University of Sassari (Italy) and the partnership of the Agriculture Ministries of Morocco and Tunisia.The project involves restoration of vegetation cover with drought resistant perennial forage species (Opunti, Atriplex, Acaci, etc.) in highly degraded Rangelands, to mitigate desertification processes and to improve rangelands productivity. The areas are located in regions characterised by rural poverty, food dependency and land abandoning: here urgent measures are needed to promote optimisation of resource management in view of a sustainable development.This is a concrete demonstration project supported by the direct involvement of local communities. Successful actions already carried out in this field by the participants of the project as well as by other Mediterranean Countries. has been taken into Account, re-elaborated and exploited thus promoting South / South co-operation and exchange of knowledge. Participation of all actors and especially of local communities is the key point in all the phases of the project and is strengthened by means of dissemination and sensitisation campaigns and by training courses. Only if, at the end of the project, all actors will own/share all choices made and the technology used, will interventions be "sustainable".