Fragilité de la réglementation des villes oasiennes Fragility of the regulation of oasis towns

Abstract

Oasis towns, which lived in complete symbiosis with their natural desert environment, through the ingenuity of their populations, have demonstrated sustainability and ecology since the dawn of time. They are currently suffering from the continual loss of their identity, both through the degradation of their Ksourian heritage and through urban transformations unsuitable for these human organisms. The Algerian state has implemented regulatory mechanisms to preserve heritage and regulate urban space while maintaining the character of Saharan towns. However, in reality, these towns experience a continually deteriorating heritage and an anarchic built environment, which prompted us to conduct this study to identify the flaws in the regulations or their enforcement. A study based on a survey of stakeholders in the oasis towns, particulary in the town of Laghouat, allowed us to observe that both aspects are somewhat deficient: the regulations, firstly, due to their generality and the lack of specificity regardind the unique characteristics of oasis towns, and their application, secondly, because the responsible actors, such as preservation agents and municipal officials, are not sufficiently involved. We concluded our study with recommendations and perspectives for improving these legislative texts so that they are better suited to fieldwork