Morocco Launches a Model Program for Oasis Development with Arab Support to Enhance Sustainability and Agricultural Innovation
A tripartite partnership agreement has been signed between the National Agency for the Development of Oasis Areas and Argan Trees, the National Institute for Agricultural Research, and the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development. This agreement coincides with the launch of the model program for oasis development in Morocco, backed by a financial grant of up to $200,000, aimed at enhancing the sustainability of oasis ecosystems and supporting scientific research and innovation in this field.
The agreement was signed during the International Date Exhibition in Erford, as part of Moroccan-Arab cooperation efforts to value the environmental, economic, and cultural heritage of the oases. This partnership allows for the implementation of practical measures that include preserving natural resources, valuing local genetic resources, combating desertification, and creating income-generating activities for youth and women in oasis areas.
This program comes as part of the national commitment to develop oasis and desert regions, which represent about 65% of the national territory, with approximately 40% of this area falling within the scope of the National Agency for the Development of Oasis Areas and Argan Trees. Despite progress in rural development and governance, these regions still face environmental, economic, and social challenges, particularly water scarcity, soil salinization, and sand encroachment.
The program’s framework document identifies five main challenges: preserving biodiversity and maintaining natural resources, enhancing food security and the resilience of production systems, reducing spatial inequalities, encouraging entrepreneurship among women and youth, and establishing sustainable territorial governance to ensure integrated development.
The program also aims to rehabilitate agricultural research centers such as the experimental farm in Zagora and equip the farm in Errachidia, while conserving date palm genetic resources by characterizing around forty economically important varieties. Additionally, it involves preparing soil fertility maps and analyzing water salinity to develop solutions for addressing the impacts of climate change. The program seeks to support youth cooperatives by equipping them with small tools for soil analysis and agricultural pollination, which will contribute to creating new economic opportunities in the oases.
The implementation of the program involves the participation of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, the Directorate of Strategy and Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, the National Institute for Agricultural Research, the National Agency for the Development of Oasis Areas and Argan Trees, and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
The program will be executed over a period of six months, under a joint coordination between the ministry and the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, in line with the Arab Strategy for Sustainable Agricultural Development 2030 and the goals of the Green Generation Plan aimed at enhancing sustainable agricultural development in vulnerable and oasis regions in Morocco.
