African Water Development Report 2006 - United Nations Economic ...

African Water Development Report 2006Box 10.4: CASE STUDY - MOROCCOPROGRAM TO FIGHT AGAINST THE EFFECTS OF DROUGHTSThe droughts of the period 1998-2001 reduced the contributions of water by 60%; its impact was particularly feltin the rural area which, as underlined previously, is concerned with poverty.The measures taken by the Moroccan Government, as illustrated by the case of the programme adopted for theyear 1999, detailed below, related to not only actions of restoration of the basic services like drinking water, butalso that of creation of jobs to compensate for the losses of incomes, and the programmes for the safeguard oflivestock and the forest, and the injection of funds for spreading out the debts of farmers.Financial structure for the campaign against the effects of the droughts of theyear 1999MDHCreation of job3274.3 47%Works of drinking water 674.6 9,7%Safeguard of livestock 1339.0 19.2%Protection of the forest 287.9 4.1%Subsidy of corn 1800 25.8%Spreading out debts 1200.0 17.2%Subsidy of corn 4.0 -Total 6961.5 100%These amounts show that the efforts of the authorities are not directed any more, as for the preceding droughts,exclusively towards the solution of the problems of water shortage; but quite to the contrary, the maintenance ofthe economic activities in the rural world receives full priority. With new policy, the problems of water supply ofthe populations and livestock could be solved, and the rural migration, usually caused by the droughts, could beattenuated.The nature of a drought episode determines itseffects and the appropriate response. Meteorologicaldrought, an extended deficiency of normalprecipitation, often precedes agriculturaldrought, which is marked by deficiency of wateravailability for plant growth and is mainly dueto deficiency in soil moisture. Hydrological orwater supply drought, is due to deficiencies inthe normal flow and off-take from water sourcesand is the most difficult to mitigate. All typesof drought interact with climate variability, managementpractices and physical factors to causeland degradation that, if unchecked, results indesertification.Adjusting or postponing water use through effectivewater supply and demand management canoften address meteorological drought. Mitigatingagricultural drought requires more efficientsoil moisture availability and use, while addressinghydrological drought often calls for structuraland management measures to protect surfacewater sources. It should be noted that shortageof underground water supply often exerts greater242