Combating Desertification: a combination of Nettoyage, Education and Tree-planting

During my first trips to Morocco since 2002 I was enchanted by the beauty of nature, the friendliness of the people and the purity of the culture, especially in the area at the edge of the Sahara Desert south of Ouarzazate around the village of M’hamid at the end of the Draa Valley. In January 2003 I met the family in M’hamid Sbaï. I was impressed by their dedication to the people and environment of M’hamid.

But I also saw negative aspects found in this environment such as the pollution of the beautiful landscape and advancing of “civilization” as well as desertification. During one of my first hiking trips in the desert area around M’hamid I saw a strange bird flying through the air. When I approached turned out to be a black plastic bag. The Sahara is sadly becoming polluted. This puts the fragile balance of the ecosystem of the Sahara in danger and as well as the oasis villages around the edge of the Sahara.
However since 2007 we have been able to combine the nettoyage, educational activities and tree-planting activities in our fight against desertification, working closely with local and International organizations.