The Use of GIS Data in the Desertification Risk Cartography: Case Study of South Aurès Region in Algeria

Abstract

Risk cartography is a primordial step for the valuation and management of desertification process but it is a complicated one, which necessitates large amounts of spatial and statistical data. The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) permits to manage and use these data efficiently. The objective of our study was the compilation of desertification sensitivity maps of the area south of Aures region, Algeria. We used a GIS system following the MEDALUS methodology (Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use), which use qualitative indices to define zones sensitive to desertification. The creation of the database consists of four information layers (soil, vegetation, climate and the socio-economic data) accomplished with ground validation. Once the database was completed, its elaboration helped identifying sensitivity areas through the use of various indices. The result is a middle scale risk map, which presents a synthesis of the desertification intensity. The map is an efficient tool to help decision makers endorse sustainable land management strategies for the protection of natural resources, especially to those greatly affected by increased aridity.