Co-creation as an approach for Ecomuseums and water sustainability: The case of Douiret-Sbâa (Morocco)

¹ Institute for the Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment, CNR-IREA, Milan, Italy
² Global Network of Water Museums, WAMU-NET (UNESCO), Venice, Italy
³ Douiret-Sbâa Association for Local Development, Beni Tadjite, Morocco
⁴ International Council of Museums, ICOM – ITALIA, Milan, Italy
⁵ Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, Florence, Italy

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

In Morocco's dry Figuig region, the village of Douiret-Sbâa and its oasis showcase an enduring legacy of sustainable water management, drawing on centuries-old traditional knowledge passed down through generations. The village's water system is anchored by the Aïn Sbaâ spring. It follows a daily cycle where the spring feeds the main reservoir overnight, from which water is drawn and distributed across the oasis throughout the day. The village employs a notched wooden trunk, calibrated with nails and strings, to regulate irrigation shifts. To adapt to seasonal water fluctuations and needs, the community adjusts the duration of the complete irrigation cycle. Despite its localized scale, this precise water management system provides an exceptionally valuable case study. Its importance stems directly from its specificity, proving that vital lessons can be gleaned from deeply rooted, community-based practices. These lessons in sustainable governance, resilient human-water relationships, and climate adaptation offer a crucial complement to large-scale models. The knowledge embedded in such community-based systems provides a critical counterpoint and a resource for understanding sustainability in context, offering transferable principles for other regions facing similar environmental pressures. To preserve and enhance this living heritage, an ecomuseum framework with co-creative methodology is being implemented. Such a radical approach actively engages local communities, institutions and regional associations fostering the integration of knowledge and the development of a common vision. Fieldwork and local consultations have begun to map the water system's tangible and intangible heritage, through a participatory process. The work is in progress: like all ecomuseums, it will evolve rather than conclude. Advancing this project in Douiret-Sbâa can both value and strengthen its traditional water management system through grassroots