Morocco has signed a loan agreement with Japan for $420.1 million to finance a large hydro-agricultural development project in the Gharb region, as the North African country steps up efforts to address water scarcity and strengthen food security amid worsening climate conditions.
The financing will support a project aimed at improving water-use efficiency and boosting sustainable agricultural production across 30,000 hectares of the Gharb plain. Plans include building main hydro-agricultural canals, upgrading related infrastructure and reinforcing existing irrigation networks.
Senior Officials Attend Signing Ceremony
The signing ceremony was attended by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Redouane Arrach, and the Resident Representative of the JICA Office in Morocco, Kawabata Tomoyuki.
The agreement was signed by Delegate Minister for the Budget Fouzi Lekjaa, Japan’s Ambassador to Morocco Nakata Mashiro, and Toyama Kei, General Director for the Middle East and Europe at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Aligned With Morocco’s National Water Strategies
Morocco said the project is aligned with key national strategies, including the Generation Green 2020–2030 plan and the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation 2020–2027. Authorities aim to expand the use of water-efficient irrigation technologies, particularly drip irrigation, to improve management of scarce water resources.
Rising Water Scarcity Across Africa
Like many African countries, Morocco is under growing pressure on its water resources due to declining rainfall, groundwater depletion, and long-term climate impacts, compounded by the Sahara Desert’s harsh and arid conditions. These challenges continue to weaken already fragile food systems, despite ongoing efforts to improve water management.
The country has recently experienced a period of calm following unrest, but water shortages persist, affecting rural communities and agricultural production across the northern region.
Morocco is consistently ranked among the world’s most water-stressed nations. A 2023 World Bank report noted: “With a water endowment of nearly 620 cubic meters per person and per year, it is already in a situation of structural water stress.”
Call for Major Infrastructure Investment
The World Bank highlighted that limited water availability increases vulnerabilities in rural communities and called for substantial investment in large-scale water infrastructure. It warned that existing measures remain inadequate to fully address the deepening crisis.
Broader African Effort to Strengthen Climate Resilience
Japan’s support for the Gharb development project places Morocco among a growing number of African states deepening external partnerships to secure water resources, expand irrigation and reinforce agricultural resilience in the face of accelerating climate pressures.
