Conservation and Protection

The massifs of the central Sahara, of which the Acacus and Messak are a part, form a sort of ‘spinal column’ crossing North Africa. These areas are of great importance for their geology, fauna and flora, suspended in a delicate balance, which at the beginning of this new millennium is under heavy threat. Some of these African mountain ranges are already adequately protected (such as the Parc National du Tassili, opened in 1972), at least from a legislative point of view.
In recent decades, the Sahara has irrevocably lost its legendary invulnerability to modern western technology. Tire-tracks cut into sand-dunes and plains, and the marks of vehicles have even wormed their way into the shelters carved into the rock (Fig. 1).

Tourism and the search for oil (Fig. 2) now represent a greater and more pressing danger than ever before, even for one of our planet’s most beautiful and important archaeological sites, named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985: the rock art of the Acacus. UNESCO recognition, however, does not in itself prevent continuing abuse of the territory in the absence of clear rules laid down for all those travelling or working in the region. Further legislation is therefore needed to guarantee an effective protection of the area (Fig. 3).

Fig. 1 - 4WD cars in the Uan Amil
rockshelter

Fig. 2 - Oil drilling at Wadi Al Ajal

Fig. 3 - A sign near an important
archaeological site

With this aim, in March 2000 the president of the Department of Antiquities in Tripoli, Ali Khadouri, invited the Italo-Libyan Joint Mission to play an active role in designing a national park within the vast area currently under concession to Rome’s “La Sapienza” University (Fig. 4).

There is no doubt that the increase in tourism represents a considerable source of revenue for Libya, yet at the same time it risks damaging the rock paintings (Fig. 5), and the substantial quantities of surface archaeological evidence, which have been subjected to a serious, and hitherto undisturbed, process of disturbance and removal. Equally, geological prospecting and drilling carried out by oil companies (Fig. 6) contribute to the development of local and national industry, but put the integrity of vast regions at risk (Fig. 7). The overexploitation of limited natural resources, pollution and an irrevocable alteration of the landscape are but a few of the direct consequences of this sudden and massive influx of humans and vehicles into the area. This flow needs to be adequately monitored by the Libyan authorities with appropriate legislation.

To this end the Mission has proposed a complex project aimed at the creation of a national park comprising the Acacus range, the plains of Uan Kasa, the Messak plateau and the western fringes of the hammada of Murzuq, as well as a number of exceptionally important sites, such as the towns of Ghat and Germa. This roughly trapezoid area has maximum dimensions of 150 km by 300 km, and is enclosed within the co-ordinates 26°30’N – 24°30’N and 10°00’E – 13°00’E.

The area contains a wide variety of different geographical ‘zones’, subject to specific risks, to varying degrees. It therefore seems appropriate to circumscribe these zones and provide them with specific protection, thus limiting the impact of contemporary humans on these fragile historical, natural, geographical and ethnographic contexts. The regulation of access for tourists, the training of competent and responsible guards, the distribution of licences and grants for the exploitation of hydro-geological resources, control over the development of infrastructures, are some of the main aims of our proposed conservation plan, which also involves the active participation of Tuareg communities.

Fig. 4 - The Project of the National Park

Fig. 5 - Checking present damages
at Uan Amil

Fig. 6 - Oil company bulldozer tracks
in the Messak Settafet destroy
everything in their path

Fig. 7 - Enormous ground movements
dued to oil prospectings
cause heavy damages to the
local wildlife