A climate change adaptation project in Errachidia, in the oasis space, for a budget of nearly 95 million dirhams. The objective is to acclimatise the water sector through the construction and rehabilitation of hydraulic infrastructure and facilities.
The project for adaptation to climate change in the oasis space for the 2015-2019 period aims to acclimatise the water sector to said changes, indicated, on Monday in Errachidia, the Director of Oasis Zone Development at the National Agency for the Development of Oasis and Argan Zones, Ali Abrho.
This project, the cost of which requires a budget of approximately 95 million dirhams and which aims to improve the adaptation capacity of the population of oasis zones to climate change, has the objective of acclimatising the water sector through the construction and rehabilitation of hydraulic infrastructure and facilities, the diversification of income sources, and the improvement of the population's living conditions, noted Ali Abrho, who presented the main lines of this project in the presence, notably, of the Wali of the Drâa-Tafilalet region, Governor of the Errachidia province, Mohamed Fanid, and the President of the Regional Council, Habib Choubani.
The project is also intended to raise awareness among all concerned actors through the exchange of experiences and know-how and the strengthening of participants' capacities in terms of design and implementation of adaptation measures, in addition to capitalising on achievements at the economic, social, and environmental levels for the benefit of the region's populations.
Furthermore, this project targets two zones vulnerable to climate change, particularly in terms of water resource depletion, namely the Ghéris and Maïder basins, where it is planned to proceed with the rehabilitation of hydraulic infrastructure and facilities with a view to feeding groundwater tables and supporting local initiatives dedicated to young people and women in the fields of agriculture, tourism, and handicrafts, in addition to completing prospective studies for the benefit of approximately four thousand beneficiaries.
In a speech for the occasion, Mohamed Fanid stressed the importance of this project for the local population, more particularly those who face several constraints and challenges linked to climate change, while noting that this meeting follows the conclusions of the work of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris.
After recalling that the Drâa-Tafilalet region is home to the largest solar energy complex in the world, the Wali stressed that Morocco has set itself the objective, thanks to several strategies, of exploiting renewable energies in the service of sustainable development.
Oasis zones suffer from several economic, social, and environmental constraints caused by climate change, which generates a negative impact on the agricultural sector, the true backbone of the local economy, noted Mohamed Fanid, calling, in this regard, for more efforts to be deployed with a view to achieving the adoption of adequate measures and mechanisms capable of preserving the ecosystem at the level of these zones and concretising the expected global development.
For his part, Habib Choubani emphasised the importance of equipping oneself with an integrated and coherent regional vision, in light of climate change and the negative repercussions it generates, stressing that the Regional Council, for which he assumes responsibility, is fully aware of this problem and will work in concert with all partners and actors to put in place a viable programme capable of protecting and safeguarding the region's natural resources.
