Gafsa oases

[citation needed] There are an estimated 50 historic date palm oases in Tunisia, another 100 in neighboring Algeria, and still more in Morocco, totaling roughly 181,000 hectares.

[4] The GIAHS designation means the oases qualify as “remarkable land use systems and landscapes which are rich in globally significant biological diversity evolving from the co-adaptation of a community with its environment and its needs and aspirations for sustainable development.” 34°23′56″N 8°45′53″E / 34.3989102°N 8.7646388°E / 34.3989102; 8.7646388 (Gafsa Oases) The town of Gafsa sits on a hill above the oasis.

At the beginning of the Christian era Gafsa (then known as Capsa) was included in the great olive zone that extended from the east coast of Tunis across into Algeria, and of which only scattered fragments remain…The pomegranates of Gafsa are considered the best grown.“[6] According to a United Nations report: “The traditional social water management system has been largely replaced by the association of farmers for water management (Groupement d’Intéret Collectif: GIC for water), the cooperative of agricultural services, Omda (responsible for the smallest administrative unit), the agricultural engineering services, and local farmer unions.”[1] The location was known to and was described by various ancient, medieval and Renaissance chroniclers, including Sallust, El-Bekri, and Leon l’Africane.

[7] The site is located near Limes Tripolitanus, a historic boundary of the Roman Empire, and the water from the oasis and underlying aquifer was likely delivered by canal to a defensive fortress in the valley (wadi).

[8] A 1906 American report on the main oasis was critical of the quality of the dates produced there, and “at the present time the culture of the olive as carried on at Gafsa leaves much to be desired, and the gardens are generally not well cared for.” A 2009 report in a Dutch magazine also expressed concerns: “With the use of water pumps, the oasis has been expanded to 3500 hectares over the last few decades.