How Moroccan Oases Survive ? The Khettara Underground Irrigation System | SLICE @SLICEDocumentary
How Moroccan Oases Survive ? The Khettara Underground Irrigation System | SLICE  @SLICEDocumentary
Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In southern Morocco, life depends on an invisible network beneath the desert: the khettaras.

These ancient underground canals, dug meter by meter by hand, bring groundwater from the phreatic zone to the oasis villages. When one becomes blocked, dozens of families immediately feel the consequences.

In the village of Bouia, a collapsed khettara threatens crops, livestock and livelihoods. After Friday prayers, the men gather in the Jmâa, the traditional assembly where all water decisions are made. Volunteers must descend into the dark tunnels, 10 meters underground, in extreme heat and near-total darkness.

Maintenance is dangerous. Cave-ins are possible. Oxygen is scarce. Yet without this work, the oasis would disappear.

Water rights are strictly regulated. Each farmer has a “quarter,” a turn that comes every 12 days. In a region where temperatures reach 50°C, water is not just a resource. It is heritage, law, and survival.

Documentary: Oasis – Morocco, mastering Taflilalt’s Waters
Directed by : Guy Beauché
Production: ZED, Arte France


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How Moroccan Oases Survive ? The Khettara Underground Irrigation System | SLICE

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