In the harsh terrain of caked dirt and sharp rocks just west of the Moroccan Sahara, nomads endlessly move their herds of goats and camels just to stay alive. But the ancestors of the Imidir Valley imagined a different future when, 700 years ago, they built a vast system of subterranean aqueducts to bring water, and life, to the desert.
Today, the valley floor is a meticulously managed flood of verdant green: ancient olive orchards, vegetable plots, fruit, nut and date trees. Where the water reaches, there is life. Traditional indigenous social systems share the water, allotting an equal amount of time for each family to redirect the canals and flood their fields for a few precious hours. This fragile existence is not taken for granted; rather, it is actively protected.
