- The oasis is a place of permanent human presence and intensive agriculture in a desert area. A paradise of vegetation amid sand dunes or rocks in the desert. In these places water is scarce and vital for people, livestock and crops and determines their life or death.
- Oasis are dependent on groundwater, which is not too far from the ground surface. It is the world of nomadic shepherds, who live on dates and milk, the full nomadic diet.
- Within an oasis the palm tree is fundamental, produces the date that is a fruit of high nutrition and cultural value and is also an important income resource and, in addition, the palm considered as «a multipurpose tree», provides building material for houses, wells, fences, etc. and the braiding of their palms gives rise to numerous everyday objects. For nomads, the oases are a refuge zone in a time of drought where they can be visited only at the time of harvesting dates, but there are also intensive oasis farming systems where they combine throughout the year different forrage crops, fruit and vegetable crops with palm trees.
Oasis Agriculture/Cooperation
