Moroccan Farmers Improve Water Productivity through Irrigation and Increase Agricultural Production

Challenge

Morocco is ranked among the top 25 most water-stressed countries in the world. Over the past two decades, the Moroccan government focused and invested on ways to make the best use of the limited water resources.  At time of appraisal, the agriculture industry was the primary user of surface water, accounting for 85 percent of withdrawals. The Oum Er Rbia river supplied water to three large-scale irrigation schemes—Tadla, Haouz and Doukkala. These schemes total 322,700 ha, and they represented half of Morocco’s large-scale irrigation area. The Oum Er Rbia basin faced acute water scarcity problems. For more than 20 years, the three ORMVAs (Regional Agricultural Development Office / Office Régional de Mise en Valeur Agricole) received only 60 percent of the surface irrigation water. 

Approach

Over the past 30 years, the World Bank has provided support to the agricultural sector in Morocco. The Bank designed a project that complemented Morocco’s strategic priorities stated in their National Irrigation Water Saving Program (PNEEI) and Green Morocco Plan (PMV), which increased agricultural productivity. The project helped participating farmers with irrigation services necessary for high efficiency drip irrigation. The project also helped improve targeted farmers’ access to technology, financing and agricultural markets. In addition, the project invested in capacity building of the government and project implementing agencies, including strengthening the regulatory framework to promote productive irrigation use, water conservation policies and implemented efficient water services by ORMVA’S, through better cost-recovery and improved maintenance. 

Results

From 2010 to 2017 the project delivered the following results: 

• 6,811 farmers, of whom 622 were women, benefited from improved irrigation services over an area of 22,062 ha. 

• A total of 2,305 farmers adopted more efficient irrigation technologies. 230 of the farmers were women, comprising over 43 percent of the project area. 

• In Tadla, in the early years, there was a 43 percent reduction of the volume of groundwater abstracted by irrigators as farmers received better water quality and better services from the piped system.
• In Tadla, farms that were less than 5 ha experienced a 166 percent increase in agricultural production while farms that were between 5-10 ha saw a 77 percent increase in agricultural production.
• In Doukkala, farms that were less than 5 ha experienced a 142 percent increase in agricultural production, farms that were between 5-10 ha saw a 67 percent increase in agricultural production. Farms greater than 10ha saw a 312 percent increase in agricultural production.

While preliminary results showed a significant reduction in the volume of groundwater abstracted, there are indications that overall water consumption increased in subsequent years due to intensification and diversification. Policy dialogue is ongoing to ensure gains in water productivity are translated into real water savings through quotas and other water conservation policies.

Bank Group Contribution

The World Bank provided financing to the project through a loan of US$70 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction Development. In addition to financial support to the Government of Morocco, the Bank also brought global knowledge and international experience. 

Partners

Throughout the project, the World Bank coordinated its efforts closely with the Government of Morocco, specifically the Ministry of Agriculture and its Directorate of Irrigation and Rural Infrastructure, the ORMVAs of Doukkala, Haouz, and Tadla, and the Water User Associations. Farmers and agribusinesses were also essential partners throughout the project design and implementation. Their knowledge and expertise served as a guide to carry out the project.

Moving Forward

Irrigation modernization, coupled with training and capacity building, improved the capacity and effectiveness of ORMVAs to manage and operate irrigation water services sustainably. The adaptation of drip irrigation and helped improve agriculture productivity, attracting farmers to adapt modernized technologies. Additionally, training of rural youth in more efficient irrigation technologies, fertigation, and implementation of a technician apprenticeship program on localized technology installation and maintenance opened the opportunities for youth to return to their home after project implementation and assist with family farms or find employment in private enterprises.

A second phase to support Morocco’s National Irrigation Water Saving Program (PNEEI) is ongoing to ensure conservation measures such as enforced quotas are aligned with priorities and implemented through the country’s national strategy with the aim of achieving real water savings in schemes and for the basin.

Beneficiaries

Farmers and women in the Oum Er Rbia river basin benefited greatly from the project. A total of 6,811 farmers, including women, benefited from project implementation and from more efficient irrigation technologies. Even though some legal and socio-cultural constraints complicated women’s access to land, women represented 9 percent of farmers who gained access to improved water services, and 230 women adopted more efficient irrigation technologies. Capacity building and training were beneficial to all actors in the industry, including, but not limited to, farmers, women, water users, agribusinesses, and workers in water facilities.