Nature

Geography

The Draa-Tafilalet Region is located on the edges of the Sahara. It contains the Eastern Anti-Atlas, the South of the Grand Atlas, and the Draa Valley, the Oued Ziz Valley, and Tafilalet. The result is a massive pre-desert zone.

The Region’s south is shared between the Draa Basin and the Ziz-Rheris Basin. The landforms of the High Atlas are higher in the north, in the heart of extensive grasslands and a dense forest area.

Draa-Tafilalet is still primarily an oasis-dominated region, with oases covering 88 percent of the arable land. They are also recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Furthermore, the Region is home to one of Morocco’s two largest Ergs: Erg Chebbi in Merzouga and Erg Chgaga in M’hamid El Ghizlane.

Weather

The Drâa-Tafilalet Region is characterized by two main climatic zones:

• The northern area where the Grand Atlas summits exceed 3000m, with snowfall during winter.
• The southern zone has a semi-arid climate, with oases bordered by Anti-Atlas mountains. This climate is distinguished by a substantial thermal difference that ranges from 42 degrees Celsius on average in summer to -0.5 degrees Celsius on average in winter, as well as powerful winds exceeding 55 kilometers per hour in summer.

Fauna and Flora

The wildlife of the region is distinguished by rare and endemic species from North Africa, as well as migratory birds, animals, reptiles, and rodents that have adapted to the territory’s arid climate. Gangas, partridges, sirlis, wheatear, dromedary, gazelle, hyena, fennec, fox, and jerkin are among them.

Green oak, cedar, Aleppo pine, and red juniper make up the flora. This is supplemented by a variety of shrubs and plant species. The province of Midelt contains 63 percent of the forest zone, which is growing as a result of the High Commission for Water and Forests’ reforestation projects.