El Ouidane: biowaste revives an oasis and keeps the desert at bay
The El Ouidane project aims to combat the desertification and to protect a fragile environment such as oases.
In Degueche, Tunisia, the economy is deeply linked to the cultivation of date palm trees. The project, carried out over the last three years, saw the introduction of a dry-wet collection service for approximately 1500 users in a city district, and the setting up of a site for composting household waste mixed with waste from the palm grove shredded with a chipper. The compost is used in the palm grove itself, bringing the organic substance back to the soil.
The project receives funding from Otto per mille, through which Italian taxpayers devolve 8 %, from their annual income tax return to an organised religion recognised by Italy or, alternatively, to a social assistance scheme run by the Italian State.
The El Ouidane project has made it possible:
- to reorganize the collections by purchasing containers for the organic and dry fractions and
- to prevent the organic fraction (at least 60% of the total waste) from ending up in uncontrolled landfills, with obvious environmental problems.
In addition, the compost has been used on site to add organic matter to the soil.