HIBAPRESS – Mohamed Zerriouh
The village of Arkman in the Nador province holds a historical and economic legacy that still bears witness to the relationship between man and his land and natural resources. This concerns the salt fields, known locally as "Amoutour al-Milh" or "Tibheray," an area whose name has been associated with salt extraction for decades. The importance of this site is not limited to its economic value, but extends to its historical memory, which dates back to the period of Spanish presence in the region, when facilities were established for salt extraction and export via ships that docked at Arkman port.
The remnants of old facilities, and the remaining traces of factories and pumps, tell chapters of the region's history that are still present in the memory of the village's inhabitants, despite the decline and neglect these landmarks have undergone. These remnants have become silent witnesses to a historical period when salt was one of the resources that contributed to invigorating the local economy, before the facilities declined and significant parts of their features disappeared, leaving behind a legacy worthy of documentation and appreciation.
The lagoon that hosts these fields is characterized by natural properties that make it a suitable space for salt accumulation. Rainwater collects in it during winter, while in summer, parts of it turn into fields covered in white due to salt deposits. Thanks to the high salinity, the lagoon has become a natural resource from which the inhabitants extract significant quantities of this substance, in a process that relies mainly on traditional methods requiring great physical effort and long patience.
Despite the hardship and difficult conditions of the work, the salt fields continue to be a source of livelihood for dozens of people from the region, who continue to extract this substance in exchange for limited income that is affected by the volume of the harvest and working conditions. Thus, these fields are not just a fleeting natural area, but are linked to a daily livelihood and families who depend on what the lagoon provides to meet some of their needs, making the decline or disappearance of this activity a direct threat to a traditional livelihood that has remained steadfast despite the transformations the region has witnessed.
Given this economic and historical importance, the need arises to think about ways to save the salt fields of Arkman from extinction, by protecting them, rehabilitating their surroundings, and promoting their natural and heritage qualifications, while exploring possibilities for their tourism valorization in a way that preserves their specificity and benefits the local population. The site, whose waters provide salt to the region's inhabitants and whose natural landscape attracts visitors' attention, deserves to become a lever for local development instead of remaining threatened by decline and oblivion, especially since its preservation means safeguarding a part of Arkman's memory and protecting an economic resource that still supports dozens of families.
