nomadic tribes threatened by drought

In Amellagou, in the heart of the Moroccan desert, the Aït Aïssa Izem tribe lives in the arid lands. This nomadic people has been roaming the desert according to the seasons and cattle pastures for centuries. But this way of life is increasingly difficult to maintain. Drought is omnipresent and for the first time in its history, the tribe had to settle very close to a village. “When we don’t have water, we have to ask for help from people who have houses and wells at home, to help us out while waiting for the rain. We also often need help to collect fodder, because it is very expensive.“says Othmane Zaghar, a member of the tribe. But they are not always well received.

Within a few years, the tribe saw the rivers dry up. The ever warmer winters prevent nature from regenerating itself. After traveling a few kilometers, the tribe reaches a tiny body of water, in which the animals are struggling to drink. Everyone here is sure of it: it is the climate change that threatens their way of life. “There are no more snowfalls as before, when they allowed to feed the groundwater“, evokes, among other reasons, Driss Skounti, elected municipal representative of the nomads.