Necessity to strengthen green belts and ensure a forest environment around dams and rivers in order to preserve soil quality

Participants in a regional meeting organized recently in Béni Mellal on the theme "Climate change and integrated management of water resources", called for the creation of a regional institution dedicated to hydraulic studies that ensures the rational management of water resources at the regional level and the continuity of this vital substance for future generations.

During this meeting initiated by the Béni Mellal-Khénifra Regional Council and the Oum Er-rbia Hydraulic Basin Agency, they urged all actors and stakeholders in the field of hydraulics to implement integrated projects in the matter in line with the expectations of the local population, in order to ensure water self-sufficiency and develop a regional climate scheme capable of facing climate change.

Among the success factors of this future vision are the conclusion of partnerships with educational establishments (schools, universities, institutes) with the objective of raising awareness about the great importance of water and the environment, in addition to research in the field of crops that are less water-consuming and more resistant to drought, they also noted in the recommendations emanating from this meeting.

They stressed, on the other hand, the necessity to strengthen green belts and ensure a forest environment around dams and rivers in order to preserve soil quality, while emphasizing the obligation of economic irrigation, as well as the use of wastewater and rainwater harvesting techniques.

It is also a question of creating waste recycling plants and a regional museum dedicated to water, and developing a law relating to water management in mountainous areas.

Organized in partnership with Sultan Moulay Slimane University, the regional branch of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), and the Water and Energy for All Association within the framework of Morocco's preparations to host the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22), this meeting aims to encourage the various socio-economic actors, elected officials, and civil society to contribute to the national strategy on climate change and sustainable development.