The Role of Transhumance in Protecting the Ecological Balance of Pastures in Morocco: A Case Study of Imagrans' Pastures in the Southern Slope of the High Atlas

Abstract

Local knowledge and customs in rural Morocco, particularly among the nomadic tribes in mountainous areas, have formed an effective legal system due to their role in maintaining ecological balances in pastoral ecosystems and ensuring the sustainability of grazing resources in these environmentally fragile regions. This system has been in place for hundreds of years, preserving the ecological balance of pastoral lands in mountainous areas, despite its diminished role today due to the deep environmental and socio-economic changes these regions have experienced in recent decades.

From this perspective, this study addresses the issue of ecological balances in traditional pastoral reserves created by local communities in mountainous areas, a matter directly related to sustainable development. The study questions why the productive systems in these areas, which have proven economical and effective in maintaining ecological balances for centuries, are now less frequently used? To answer this question, the study highlights the role played by the customary legal system in managing pastoral lands and maintaining their ecological balance, using the tribal ecological reserves system "Agdal," through a case study of the tribal pastoral reserves of the "Imghran" tribes on the southern slopes of the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

The study set out to achieve this goal based on two hypotheses; the first is that the pastoral system practiced by the "Imghran" tribes, which involves moving livestock, represented a positive technical adaptation to the scarce environmental conditions and the diversity of the ecosystems in the pastoral areas they exploit. The second hypothesis is that the customary legal system upon which the pastoral system of the "Imghran" tribes is based played a significant role in achieving the balance of the traditional pastoral reserves created by the locals. Still, it is currently less used due to the impact of modern economic and social transformations, climate changes, and technological developments. To analyze these hypotheses, the study relied on a synthetic approach that combines multiple methodologies, consisting of fieldwork through field visits to inspect the pastoral reserves, and conducting interviews with representatives of the locals and various stakeholders involved in managing the tribal pastoral reserves.