Abstract:

The risk’s cartography is a primordial step for the valuation and management of desertification phenomenon but it is a complicated spot, which necessitate a big amount of spatial and statistic’s data. The use of GIS permits to manage and use these data efficiency. The objective of our study is the realization of the sensitivity to the desertification map of south of the Aurès region by means of Geographical information system in accordance with the MEDALUS method (Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use), which use the qualitative indices to define the sensitive environment zones to the desertification. The creation of the database consist of four information layer (soil quality, vegetation quality, climate quality and the socioeconomic state) when the articulation in the space and in the time is submit to the validation on ground. Once the database has corrected it help to the elaboration of the sensitivity to the desertification map with calculation of the indices of the sensitivity to the desertification (ISD). The result is a risk’s map at a middle scale (1/200.000) which presents a big efficacy in word of synthesis of a desertification phenomenon. The maps make a tool of help to decision as far as the protection of natural resources is concerned in regions stroke by the aridity.

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