The predictions of farmers and those interested in water affairs in Morocco are increasing, as a result of the delay in the level of rainfall, about “the date of the official entry into the eighth year of drought” or not.
The General Directorate of Meteorology expects, for Thursday, rain or thundershowers to fall over the High Atlas Heights, the Souss region, the northern coasts, and the Tangiers and Anti-Atlas regions, during the morning.
Other rains or thundershowers will also fall locally in the High Atlas Heights, the Souss region, and the central plains, during the afternoon. The weather will be cloudy, accompanied by weak and scattered rain, and the possibility of thunder in the northern plains and northwest of the desert regions.
Riad Ohtita, a consultant expert in the agricultural field, said that anticipating the entry into an eighth year of drought begins with an assessment of “the recent years that witnessed an irregular succession of seasons, as the winter season became late, the autumn season long, and the summer season longer so that it overshadows the spring.”
Ohtita added, in a statement to Hespress, that the winter season used to start in late October on a regular basis. Which clearly defines the features of the agricultural season. But now, the delay in the arrival of winter has affected farmers who rely on these natural dates to determine the beginning and end of the agricultural season.
The expert in the agricultural field stated that the situation during the last three or four years was not limited to drought; Rather, it included the shrinkage of cultivated areas as a result of the financial effects of the Corona pandemic.
In this regard, Ohtaita pointed out that it has become necessary to adapt to the climate situation by selecting appropriate crops for each region, under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, to ensure optimal use of the available agricultural resources.
The same spokesman continued: “Agricultural policies focus on reference regions, such as the west and north of the Kingdom, where specific types of grains such as wheat and barley are grown, to ensure the stability of national production. Farmers are also directed through the National Agricultural Consultation Office to determine appropriate agriculture according to actual rainfall in previous years, taking into account choosing the appropriate timing for planting or resorting to alternative techniques such as direct substitution to preserve soil moisture.”
The aforementioned expert concluded by saying: “Morocco is going through stages of drought: water drought and hydrological drought, and the current fears are reaching the stage of soil drought, which is considered the most dangerous, because it leads to a loss of soil fertility and its inability to produce.”
For his part, Al-Mustafa Al-Issat, an expert in environmental and water affairs, said that North Africa has been experiencing, for many years, the impact of a continuous drought phenomenon, which has currently reached its eighth year, as a result of severe climate fluctuations that have directly affected the region.
Al-Aissat added, in a statement to Hespress, that the seasons have changed from four seasons to only two or three, as autumn has become unclear, and the winter season is late. This affects fall agriculture, including the cultivation of vegetables and grains, and increases the challenges related to agricultural security in Morocco.
The expert in environmental and water affairs continued: “To confront these crises, thinking began about alternative solutions to cover the shortage of water resources, such as seawater desalination plants, water transportation methods, and wastewater treatment.”
The aforementioned declarant continued: “It was noted that the available water resources did not exceed, during the past five years, 35 percent of the planned capacity of the dams, most of them in the northern regions and parts of the Tensift Basin, which necessitated accelerating the connection of these basins to the water network to cover the vital needs of agriculture and livestock raising.”
Al-Aissat pointed out that the national water strategy in Morocco includes investments amounting to 14 billion dirhams, with the aim of increasing water resources by 2027 and providing about 1.7 billion cubic meters of water through desalination of seawater, in addition to operating mobile stations to desalinate groundwater deteriorating due to contamination with heavy metals or lack of quality.
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