La pastèque de la discorde – exploring water in oasis ecosystems with Dr. Hind Ftouhi
Since the recent years of drought, watermelon production in the Moroccan desert has been criticised for its high water consumption and has been a source of discord between the various stakeholders, as well as in the media. However, this debate tends to obscure the diversity of social and agricultural realities on the ground.
Moving from the screening of the documentary “La pasteque de la discorde” and drawing from the research developed, Dr. Hind Ftouhi explores these realities by tracing the history of watermelon in Zagora, highlighting the different types of producers who grow it, the collective action of communities, and attempts to rationalise water use.
Dr. Hind Ftouhi is an agronomist and rural sociologist. She is currently a lecturer-researcher at the Institut National d’Aménagement et d’Urbanisme (INAU) in Rabat. Her research focuses on the roles of rural youth in agrarian and territorial transformations in Morocco, gender dynamics, and the governance of natural resources, particularly water and land, in rural areas. She explores the socio-economic and environmental changes shaping rural communities, with particular attention to youth engagement, the roles of women in sustaining oasis ecosystems, and agrarian transformations in oasis regions.