TRANSFERT ET VALORISATION DES ACQUIS DE RECHERCHE OASIENNE

Abstract

Oases are among the few resilient ecosystems and are considered as one of the most remarkable examples of sustainable development in the world. These ecosystems are facing considerable challenges of environmental and socio-economic types especially: erosion of genetic resources, reduction and degradation of qualitative and quantitative aspects of water resources, soil’s degradation, spread of diseases and pests, climatic changes, degradation by industrial pollution and silting up, limited governance, etc This communication presents the experience of CRRAO-Degache in the transfer and valorization of oasis research’s results by indicating the methodology as well as the adopted materials for this aim. Thus, an interdisciplinary methodology was adopted. This methodology was based on (i) diagnostic of Tunisian oasis ecosystems, (ii) Identification and mapping of all stakeholders operating in this sector, (iii) Establishment of 3 specialized units for support and monitoring and finally (iv) Preparation of CRRAO’s strategy during the 2016-2025 decade. Strategic orientation of CRRAO was: Contributing by knowledge and expertise, transfer of technology and participatory and partnership research permitting an adaptive and sustainable management of oasis ecosystems, enhancement of their resilience and increase of their adaptation to global changes. The CRRAO-Degache could, seeing its presence in an isolated oasis environment, to develop with the collaboration of national and international partners: a rather important expertise in the field of oasis research. An operational system of transfer and valorization of oasis research’s results in CRRAO has been established owing to (i) collective, concerted and participatory reflection, (ii) institutional anchoring and partnership development and (iii) consolidation of proximity alliance. This system consists, namely, in the following aspects: • Conception of solutions adapted to challenges and interventions of technical and expertise aspects (seminars, information days, field-school, semi-structured interviews and application of MARP methods; • Collection, selection and dissemination of about twenty good oasis practices in four themes, including water, governance, valorization of production chains and management of natural resource; • Development of a sharing platform of geo-referenced data (SIG-Oasis) and elaboration of decision-making’ tools for the adaptive management of oases which allow to development actors to adjust their actions in view of better governance of oasis system in long term; • Creation with the founding members a Date and Date Palm Cluster: a non-profit territorial association grouping regional stakeholders in the date and date palm sector.