In the Sahel of Tunisia, areas were characterized by complex landforms like hills and
depression with active and alternation of the geographical processes between bare hilly
limestones and fertile soils. These landforms consist of the Meskat system. It represents the
commonly used micro-catchment of water harvesting for olive tree groves as traditional soil
and water conservation technique. However, in recent years, this system seems to be increasingly
neglected. The present study aims to determine the current functionality of the Meskat system
in the watershed of Wadi Hamdoun through the use of a geographic information system
(GIS) as well as field’s investigation. Results reveal the presence of areas that do not respect
the standards corresponding to the Meskat system implementation, and which most likely
are the principal cause of its decreasing performance degree.Etc...
Keywords
Soil erosion; Water harvesting practices; Wadi Hamdoun; Meskat system