UNDP, as part of its’ CapDeL Program, a joint initiative led by Algeria’s Ministry of Interior, local collectivities and Territory planning and UNDP, with the financial support of the EU, works towards fostering local development.

It aims to set up the conditions for concerted communal governance, attentive to citizens' expectations, based on transparency and participation, at the service of sustainable and inclusive local development.

Since its launch in January 2017, CapDeL has implemented its model approach in 08 municipalities, representing the richness and diversity of the Algerian territory: Djemila (Setif), Babar (Khenchela), Timimoun (Timimoun); Ghazaouet (Tlemcen); Messaad (Djelfa); Djanet (Djanet), El Khroub (Constantine) and Ouled Ben Abdelkader (Chlef).

A total of 36 projects, implemented by CSOs across all 8 municipalities, received support through their implementation process.

This is a story about one of these projects.

Safeguarding cultural heritage and promoting local tourism

Following a flood in 2020, foggaras in the region of Timimoun were severely damaged. A foggara is an underground water irrigation system used in the desert. It consists of a slightly sloping underground gallery that drains water from uphill to drier terrains downstream, where the palm groves are located.

Timimoun-based association “Fogaret Tintrit Zaouyet Alma” focused on the restauration of the Amghir foggara, considered part and parcel of Timimoun’s cultural heritage. As a result, the water now reaches 8 gardens that were unirrigated in the past, and 32 farmers benefitted from the project.

In its’ journey to restore the Amghir foggara, the association sought to bring awareness on the importance of such a cultural heritage by launching an awareness campaign for locals and tourists and thereby promote knowledge on this ancestral irrigation system used in the Algerian desert.

The project also benefitted to 22 Young people, from foggara owners to farmers, who were trained on the maintenance of foggaras. Another 5 people were trained as tourist guides, benefitting to the development of local tourism.

« The project was carried out in a lively manner and in a spirit of solidarity between the members of the project team, involving experts in the field of foggaras, volunteers of different ages, in coordination with the Tourism, Water Resources, Agriculture, Culture and Municipal Departments. All had one goal that is to protect our local heritage. », say members of the association.

Such local projects bring positive change to the region, by safeguarding local heritage, while fighting the adverse effects of climate change by providing water to unirrigated zones and building the capacities of young people from the region and encouraging them in building more ambitious projects and be more involved in sustainable local development.