Couple Mohammed Drihem
Last Friday, June 16, the Ifrane Model Forest Association (AFMI) organized a Round Table to discuss the Importance of Agdal Practices and Indigenous and Community Heritage Areas (ICCAs); with the participation of experts, representatives of local communities, competent authorities and decision-makers to discuss the importance of these ancestral practices in the restoration of ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity.
This event is part of the project “Characterization and Rehabilitation of Traditional Practices for the Conservation of Biodiversity in the Routes of the National Park of Ifrane in the Middle Atlas (APAC Sehb Laghnem)”.
By organizing this round table; the Ifrane Model Forest Association aims to raise awareness of the importance of Agdal and ICCA practices in the conservation of biodiversity, to promote dialogue and the exchange of knowledge between participants concerning the preservation and revitalization of these practices and to Identify concrete actions and strategies for the rehabilitation and promotion of Agdal and ICCA practices on the territory of Ifrane National Park.
According to Moulay Driss Hachimi treasurer of AFMI; this round table organized around the theme “Dialogue between heritage and sustainability: territory of life and Agdal” and to which we invited our various partners at the level of the territory including associations of silvopastoral management (AGS), Waters and Forests , the National Park of Ifrane and the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture among others; has the main objective of highlighting the importance of cultural heritage in the management and preservation of the environment as is the case in the practice of Agdal; this ancestral practice based on pastoral rotation which has proven itself for generations in the preservation of the vegetation cover and biodiversity of the land of the course and the sustainability of the ecosystems
We also tried to highlight our experience in terms of recognition of Sehb Leghnem as an Indigenous Heritage Area for the local community (ICCA) and its recognition both nationally and internationally.
Two working sessions were on the program of this round table on the Importance of Agdal Practices and Indigenous and Community Heritage Areas (ICCAs), the first of which was devoted to the presentation of the “Agdal Practice” and the second on “Areas of Indigenous and Community Heritage (ICCA) of Life and Conservation Territories” followed by discussions and exchanges between the participants who adopted several recommendations.
Indeed, the participants in the work of this round table consider that it is appropriate to promote ICCAs or Territories of Life as a means of sustainable and concerted management of natural resources, to strengthen community participation, to improve sustainable livelihoods , preserve traditional knowledge and raise awareness of its importance; through: Capacity building of members of these communities on the SDGs, sustainable management of natural resources, good conservation practices; the organization of technical training, participatory workshops and exchanges of knowledge within the community and with neighboring communities, the encouragement of intergenerational exchanges, the establishment of inclusive and equitable governance that encourages and strengthens the participation of women, young people and people with specific needs in the decision-making processes and the implementation of actions related to ICCAs, the recognition of protected areas by indigenous communities and the integration of traditional knowledge in management natural resources while remaining open to science-based practices and successful field experiences, strengthening sustainable community livelihoods (sustainable agricultural practices, community-based ecotourism, non-timber forest products, and other economic opportunities based on enhancement of the ICCA’s natural resources) and the establishment of environmental awareness and education programs to promote understanding of the value of the ICCA and the benefits of its conservation.
Remember that the ancestral practices and the restoration of ecosystems have been very successful over time by the three Amazigh tribes of Beni-Mguild, Beni-Mtir and the Aït Seghrouchen installed in the Dir on horseback on the Mountain and the Azaghar in Moyer Atlas and particularly in the province of Ifrane as specified by Oukanou Lahcen; Secretary General of AFMI in a communication given during this Round Table.
This situation, he said, had allowed them to use the resources of the mountains and the plains, in harmony with the semi-nomadic mode.
For the speaker; the close links with biodiversity and natural resources are manifested in the capture of springs, the cutting of firewood and service wood, the collection of medicinal and aromatic plants and the extensive breeding of sheep happens to be the most ancestral activity widespread in the region and represents the main source of income for the population.
So he added; the management of rangelands was inspired by pastoral traditions and the existing social organization. This way of life was in harmony with the environment: Each tribe had a strip of land that stretched from the plain (Azghar) to the mountain (Jbel).
The Practice of transhumance to exploit the levels of vegetation and achieve a complementarity of the different range areas in forests and outside forests
Agdal is a resource management practice in the Maghreb that is said to be millenary and whose origin dates back to Berber societies. It constitutes a system which aims to ensure the regeneration of resources either in the water, or in the forest, or in fishing.
Also, Lahcen Oukanou pointed out that the word “Agdal” also covers; rules, community practices of management and exploitation of the lands which allowed the sustainability of the exploitation of the environments and take a religious expression.
Similarly, he added, the practice of putting in defense (Agdal) at the level of the collective territory was strictly respected and each tribute prohibited the course in a part of the land to regenerate the courses and extend the grazing periods.