17 Feb Socio-economic fieldwork

The fieldwork was conducted starting from the 17th of February until the 18th of March 2020 between Ouarzazate and Zagora provinces, and the oases of the downstream part of the Drâa valley, Ternata, Fezouta, Ketaoua, and M’hamid. The aim of this socio-economic fieldwork was, first, to have an overview of the role played and activities conducted by governmental institutions at the provincial level. The interviews were done using a semi-structured questionnaire. At the local level, the aim was to have a detailed view of the environmental status and livelihoods in the Middle Drâa Valley, particularly in relation to the effects of salinity and water scarcity in the downstream oases. Data collected through interviews was used to conduct a first assessment of the ecosystem services (ES) following a local-knowledge based approach. These interviews were also used to assess how local actors understand the concept of ES, the way they value different natural resources, and how these resources are managed locally in order to benefit from the ecosystem.