El Gobierno marroquí destina 10.000 millones de dirhams para paliar los efectos de la sequía

The water situation in Morocco is causing serious problems for the nation. The Alawi country is struggling with the worst drought in three decades. Due to the lack of rainfall during the autumn and winter periods, the situation is worsening and farmers are being hit the hardest. "Cereal and legume production are already doomed this year," said Abdelmoumen Guennouni, an agronomist.

"December and January are decisive for the wheat crop, but this year, as there has been no rain, there will be no production, and we expect losses of 80%," commented farmer Abderrahim Zrouti.  

In addition to the issue of rainfall, due to the drought, the reservoirs have not filled properly and are at low levels, so they are almost unusable, registering figures of less than 33% of water occupation. It should be noted that overexploitation of the Kingdom's aquifers is another factor in the seriousness of the situation.

The Moroccan government is already aware of the situation and has announced that it will allocate 10 billion dirhams ($1.07 billion) to mitigate the consequences of the drought. The main objective is to help affected farmers, who will feel the consequences of the country's aridity the most. The aid will also seek to improve water management to ensure adequate water distribution, improve agricultural insurance and finance supplies of both wheat and livestock feed.  

This relief to Moroccan agriculture has been mainly supported by Morocco's King Mohammed VI, who, due to the seriousness of the issue and the concern of his citizens, received Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and Mohamed Siddiqui, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forestry. At the meeting, the sovereign asked the executive to take all necessary and urgent measures to calm the situation and address the effects the drought is having on the country's agricultural sector.

The programme developed will be based on three main axes and themes that will be addressed in advance to improve the current situation. Firstly, the money will be aimed at protecting animals and plants, as well as managing water scarcity in order to distribute it equitably. The second will address the agricultural insurance that farmers take out in case situations like this happen again. Finally, the money will mitigate the financial burden on agricultural professionals as they finance the entire Moroccan market for wheat and livestock feed, as well as a search for more special forms of irrigation to invest in.

Another measure being considered by the authorities in Marrakech and Oujda is to start legalising water use. Such a law would prevent waste and abuse by those who have illegal harvests or who do not respect the region's regulations. 

Concern is growing, as the agricultural sector is one of the most heavily employed sectors in the Kingdom. According to government authorities, one in three Moroccans is employed in agriculture, so the drought is seriously affecting them. There is also concern about a downturn in the economy, as Morocco is a major exporter of agricultural commodities and this is a key pillar of the national economy.

At present, Mediterranean countries such as Spain and Morocco are surrounded by an anticyclone that is causing the situation to worsen. Until it disappears, rainfall will not reach the Alawi kingdom, which means that this year's agricultural season will be even more affected than expected.

Experts are already saying that every two or three years, due to the current climate change situation and its consequences, Morocco will suffer a major drought, which is why they are already beginning to consider the relevant measures to be able to face the problem in the future in a better way and without losing so many harvests.