The Bedouin are losing their culture as oases dry up in the Moroccan deserts
You are at a hotel in Morocco wondering what delights might await you around the corner in Casablanca. Maybe you are going to pass Richard Branson’s eco-hotel in the Atlas mountains and land at a Berber hotel, where a quaint donkey ride will lead you up to your room.
This all makes you feel good because you are in touch with local culture and are having an adventure of a lifetime.
But if you weren’t at 5 Star Four Seasons Casablanca or Marrakech – what would you know about the local people in Morocco? A video produced by Greenpeace helps show some of what happens as a byproduct to climate change. The deserts are getting even drier.
Palm trees at the heart of the oasis
This short video above (3.5 minutes) lets you explore the challenges that nomadic Bedouin Moroccans face from disappearing oases.
The desert may look dry but it is very much alive to these people. Every year these nomadic people starting in 1995 noticed less and less water at their wells. Where once they could dig down a couple of yards to create a well now they need to dig about 10 or 15 or more to reach water. This effect is causing not only hardship but their culture to disappear. Invest a few minutes in learning about their plight.
Author: Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]
