25 th anniversary for classification of M'Zab valley as a world heritage
International meeting
² M'zab valley, human heritage against for new challenges ²
Ghardaïa, 10-13 of décembre 2007
Introduction :
The M’Zab valley considered as a millenary ksourian civilisation, constitutes today, the reference of this harmony between social organisation, urbanisation system, architectural typology, mastering of hydrous resources and ecological balance.
Ingenuity of the urban system within territorial structure and the architectural local know – how have raised it status to national patrimony in 1971 and to humanity by UNESCO in 1982.
Since then, the valley has spent 25 years of hard work on site. These efforts were enriched by research and actions on protection and conservation. Other initiatives were taken towards awareness and promotion of the cultural, and historical values of the region. This is well illustrated through the several events which took place with the collaboration of national and foreign experts, civil society representatives, and deciders.
This international meeting came in turn to overwhelm these ongoing scientific manifestations such as “Le millénaire d’El Atteuf et de la vallée du M’Zab”, « Le Corbusier et le M’Zab », and « Living in the desert ». This scientific out put makes the valley s an experiment field to settle the territorial cultural system subscribed within Euromed – Heritage programme.
Issue:
Algeria, through its town planning strategies, tries to enhance rural spaces, develop hilly regions and the great South. The M’Zab valley as part of this region is included in such preoccupations.
Its status as a human heritage forces us to conserve its natural and architectural patrimony and the local social way of life. This led us to allocate a special attention.
The promotion of patrimony and home know – how in order to enhance local development must put in evidence not only the physical elements (architecture and environment) but the ethnic dimension as well.
The latter depends on emerging tradition if still alive even if it is vulnerable. Thus, cultural patrimony management should help to boost the economy by creating employment to local population whether in crafts, tourism, new jobs or new forms of creativity.
On the other hand, the fight against the ever growing desert seems to hold two folds. One in relation to the desert protection as a patrimony and the other against the productive means degradation. If the former is an acceptable natural image encompassing all its attributes (human and natural potentialities), the latter needs a real attention based on ideas, strategies, plans, projects, finances …etc.
From these strategies will come out dynamics of associated projects as parts of the territory. Without being in contradiction with above, these projects must be registered within this harmony between the original and the man made taking into account the eventual harms locally and even at the planet scale.
The issue lies, in fact, in this challenge between different actors (deciders, investors, professionals, researchers…) who must rethink the southern cities (or their development), the desert in general, its patrimony, its identity in urban sites. The M’Zab valley seems to be an excellent site studies and experiments.
We are taking advantage of this 25th anniversary in order to organise this meeting hoping:
In one hand:
Ø to set up an evaluation of what has been done towards the cultural patrimony of the valley which will surely makes us learn from its results
On the other hand:
Ø to harmonise the national and universal preoccupations by:
o Creating a professional network aiming to face the new millenary challenges.
Ø To reach through this meeting participants suggestions and solutions related to:
o Fighting the spread of the desert
o Promoting patrimony and home know – how in order to enhance local development
o Identifying dynamic architectural and urban projects integrated in its territory subscribed into sustainability.