Using SPOT Imagery to Assess the Effectiveness of Combating Desertification in Marrakech, Morocco

Abstract

Desertification, leading to the reduction of land productivity, is one of the major threats in dryland ecosystems. Actions to combat desertification have become one of the important land management practices in the arid regions or countries in the past half century. Fodder shrub plantations have been implemented in the area of Marrakech since 1996 in order to prevent rangeland from further desertification and to rehabilitate rangeland productivity. This paper demonstrates a case study on the assessment of the effectiveness of such interventions in pilot sites in Marrakech by multitemporal remote sensing technology.