The Saharan Landscape: between threats and developments. Case of the City of Tozeur (South West Tunisia)

Abstract

The city of Tozeur (South West Tunisia) is among the areas most affected by high anthropization and environmental problems. The forms of pollution as well as the degradation of oasis and agricultural lands, encourage us to think of the city differently. This is through the landscaping where the different characteristics of the site; urban constraints; and climatic specificities would be taken into account. To do this, the study proposes a landscape approach as a paradigm for developing the city’s green spaces, including creating a linear landscape course located in a new urban center of the city of Tozeur. The methodology adopted is based on developing a landscape assessment followed by a development proposal using design, modeling, and mapping software. According to this study, anthropogenic pollution, anarchic urbanization and environmental problems threaten the living environment of the inhabitants. The proposed linear landscaping would help the localities in question to reduce the effect of the various problems that the city faces. The results made it possible to highlight the role of such landscaping in the Saharan regions and to underline the importance of this project and the opportunities it will offer to boost Saharan tourism in the country's south and enhance the image of the Tunisian Sahara.