National plan to save and develop Moroccan oases

28/03/2006

Meeting recently in Errachidia, Moroccan government officials were unanimous about the urgent need to save oases.

By Hassan Benmehdi for Magharebia in Casablanca – 28/03/06

[File] Relieving demographic pressure is part of the Moroccan plan to saves oases.

For centuries, oases have played a major role in the history of Morocco despite unfavourable climatic conditions. They constitute rare phenomena that long ago developed into a model of long-term sustainable exploitation of natural resources.

However, the Saharan phenomena are currently endangered and threatened with disappearance if negative conditions persist. The conditions that are killing off the oasis areas have raised the alarm for urgent and effective measures to be taken to save and promote them. Minister for Land, Water and Environmental Development Mohamed El Yazghi recognises the scale of the problem.

Outlining the national plan to save the oases, which will be implemented this year around Tafilalet, he explained that oases deserved to be restored.

"The strategy adopted to develop the oases rests on three main independent criteria: optimisation of the use of the available resources, progressive moves towards a more traditional agricultural model and the development of a national oasis tourism strategy," said El Yazghi, adding that "the overexploitation of water resources is endangering the future of oasis areas and this situation will deteriorate further in the case of a lack of rainfall".

El Yazghi's plan consists of controlling the management of the water shortage and reducing wastage, reducing demographic pressure and making the most of human resources. A traditional farming system will also be set up to ensure that the government is involved in managing resources to diversify the economy and to promote employment through the development of integrated rural centres.

On a similar note, the Secretary General of the High Commission for Water, Forests and Anti-desertification Measures Hammou Jader pointed out that the success of the plan necessitates the adoption of a countrywide approach, with joint effort from all those involved and monitoring and evaluation of completed projects.

Director of the Social Development Agency Mohamed Najib Guédira stated that in his view, the plan should be looked at with a view to keeping the human dimension central, especially as he is working to stamp out poverty.