A Study on Spatial Analysis of Urban Sprawl on an Algerian Oasis City

Situated far to the south of Algeria at some 600 Km from the capital Algiers, the Southern cities have long endured the hard climate and isolation of living on the edges of the vast Sahara desert. But in the last half century, mainly due to the discovery of oil in 1956, these cities have experienced a population and economic boom, paid for in rapidly increasing urbanization and the harm of the environment. The oases in Ghardaia suffer from urban sprawl and the loss of agricultural land and date farms, the pollution of water resources, and many other negative environmental impacts. The author expands on the earlier studies by presenting an in depth study of the problems facing the M''zab valley today, covering not only its unique features as an oasis city, but also offering fresh analysis of the sprawl phenomena, especially since the 80s. The research presents the historical process of urban sprawl in the M''zab valley, and offers a spatial analysis using the Geographical Information System (GIS), with graphic toolbox and 3-dimensional visualizations and offers a record of the impact of an industrial society on the traditional way of life in the M''zab valley.