A major guarantee supports this assertion: these areas now have a National Agency for Development, whose director was just appointed on Tuesday in Erfoud by His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

The oasis zones, from Figuig to M'hamid El Ghizlane, from Tata to Guelmim, and from Taghjijt to Assa, are the subject of multiple measures and actions that, however, require better coordination and synchronisation. One of the tasks of this agency would precisely be the rational synergy of the various development actions targeting these regions.

This new structure, without a doubt, comes at the right time, as the oasis issue no longer leaves room for contemplation. The imbalance between, on one hand, the permanent regression of resources and, on the other, the growing needs of the populations, is more than evident. Based on this observation, the situation requires urgent interventions.

Three paths to explore in this perspective: conserve, produce, and add value. Several concerned provinces have seen, in recent years, the launch of projects related to the safeguarding and development of oases, whether in Guelmim, Assa, Tata, M'hamid El Ghizlane, Fezouata, Figuig, or Zagora. Apart from the last two years, these zones had been living for more than two decades to the rhythm of a nagging water deficit. The degradation of climatic conditions in general has meant that populations have resorted to pumping from the water table, which has obviously caused its depletion and consequently the abandonment of hundreds of hectares of palm groves. The development of these regions thus depends on planting, as much as possible, date palms, by using currently mobilisable water resources.