L’irrigation dans les déserts : de l’euphorie au désenchantement. Défis environnementaux dans la diagonale sèche de l’Ancien Monde
The 20th century was the golden age of “great hydraulics” in the steppes and deserts of the dryland stretching from the Sahara to the Central Asian deserts. From Morocco to China, modernization's mission was to transform the desert environment through the multiplication of irrigated agricultura...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Association AGF
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Bulletin de l’Association de Géographes Français |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/bagf/13184 |
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| Summary: | The 20th century was the golden age of “great hydraulics” in the steppes and deserts of the dryland stretching from the Sahara to the Central Asian deserts. From Morocco to China, modernization's mission was to transform the desert environment through the multiplication of irrigated agricultural pioneer fronts in order to meet the increase in food demand in states facing strong demographic growth. The hydraulic mission strived to make underground and surface water accessible and productive, so much so that irrigated areas were multiplied by four during the 20th century. But “making deserts bloom” comes at a cost, economic but above all environmental. In many cases, the hydrosystems forcing by unsustainable development programs produced widespread environmental degradation of dry lands, causing public authorities and donors to lose interest in large irrigated agriculture projects. |
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| ISSN: | 0004-5322 2275-5195 |