Morocco, one of the world's most water-stressed countries, faces significant fluctuations in water availability due to climate change. This has led to declining rainfall, reduced runoff, and increased groundwater depletion. A large portion of Morocco's water resources is consumed by irrigated agriculture. To address this issue, Morocco has implemented the National Program of Water Savings in Irrigation, which aims to modernize irrigation on approximately 550,000 hectares, including 220,000 hectares covered by large-scale irrigation plans.
The Global Water Security and Sanitation Partnership (GWSP) financed a study to evaluate water consumption and productivity within the modernized irrigated regions of the El Haouz perimeter. This study was part of the $150 million World Bank-financed Large-Scale Irrigation Modernization Project under the National Program of Water Savings in Irrigation. Using remote sensing and satellite technologies, the study analyzed changes in biomass and overall water consumption. It established a correlation between evapotranspiration and biomass with water use in agriculture.
The initiative also evaluated groundwater usage for irrigation and its correlation with surface water allocation by the irrigation operator. This effort aimed to build Morocco’s capacity to manage water resources sustainably.
The GWSP-funded study facilitated dialogue with the Moroccan government on water conservation policies. With GWSP’s support, a high-level policy dialogue on water use in Moroccan agriculture was held, resulting in a technical note to support resilient and inclusive agrifood systems in the Maghreb. The Regional Office for Irrigation of El Haouz and the River Basin Agency of Tensift benefited from adopting innovative monitoring technologies used in the study.
By December 2022, more than 9,000 farmers had benefited from improved water services and access to advanced irrigation technologies covering an area of 20,700 hectares through the Large-Scale Irrigation Modernization Project.
Insights from this collaboration informed the $182 million Resilient and Sustainable Water in Agriculture (RESWAG) project approved in FY22. The RESWAG project aims to enhance governance of agricultural water use, improve irrigation service quality, and modernize on-farm irrigation technologies. By 2027, it expects to provide new or improved irrigation services for 51,485 hectares and reach over 23,000 farmers with agricultural assets or services.
These combined efforts aim to help Moroccan authorities maintain sustainable water withdrawals and manage interannual variability effectively.