Faced with a historic drought, Morocco receives a loan from the World Bank
In 2020, these orange trees south of Agadir had suffered the consequences of a lack of water.
But the 2022 season promises to be particularly worrying in Morocco, which is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years.
© FADEL SENNA/AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Morocco is granted a loan of several million euros from the World Bank.
This loan will be used to improve water management in Morocco, hit by a historic drought which is currently affecting this North African country.
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This loan comes at the right time.
Long subject to climatic variations, Morocco could soon simply run out of water.
Hit by the worst drought in nearly 40 years, the country has suffered a severe rainfall deficit since September and an alarming drop in dam reserves compared to the annual average.
The 163 million euros allocated by the World Bank will support resilient and sustainable agricultural projects in the face of climate change and the scarcity of water resources.
Concretely, it is about improving the quality of irrigation services and facilitating farmers' access to technical advice in this area.
Agriculture, an essential sector of the Moroccan economy
Rabat is becoming increasingly aware of climate change.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, drought is expected to intensify in Morocco until 2050 under the effect of a decrease in the frequency of rains (-11%) and an increase in temperatures (+1.3° VS).
However, the agri-food sector contributes 21% to the national GDP.
Nearly 39% of employment in the Cherifian kingdom depends on it.
►Also read: World Water Forum - "Water will reposition itself among the priorities for security in the world"
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