FORMULATION PROCESS OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN SEMI-ARID AREA

This paper presents agricultural and rural development policy of the Government of Morocco in the arid region located at the southeast of the Atlas Mountains. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has completed the Master plan study for irrigation and community development plan in the Tafilalet region, and the author, study team presents lessons of policy-makers how they have been coordinating rural development schemes in the region. The region severely lacks rainfall, with only 50 to 200 mm per annum and agricultural activities are fully dependent on torrential water and groundwater through subsurface tunnel structures, which are called "the khettara" in Morocco. A recent inventory study indicates that the productive khettara has reduced to about 190 khettaras compared to about 570 khettaras in 1970s because of decrease of water discharge due to consecutive drought especially since 1997. Decrease of available water has accelerated desertification and depopulation in the region. Since the region has left behind development among several regions in Morocco, improvement of farm productivity is essential to secure living conditions in the rural area, especially for the communities scattered in the region. In formulating regional development plan, the Government puts emphasis on community development through "capacity building" of beneficiaries. Experience, knowledge will be a strong base for future development. Interdependence system has been established on the basis of mutual reliance between the Government and communities. 1) Faithful response to beneficiaries' needs and 2) equal opportunity to access to the governmental support program, these policy directs farmer's motivation to self-reliance on irrigation management, consequently it mitigates devastation of social system and harnesses the solidarity of rural communities. This paper presents of the Government of Morocco agricultural and rural development policy in the arid region located at the southeast of the Atlas Mountains. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has completed the Master plan study in the Tafilalet region under the technical cooperation program, and the author, study team presents lessons of policy-makers on how they have been coordinating rural development schemes in arid region. On the regional level, there are 40 Provincial Agricultural Directrates (DPAs) and 9 Regional authorities of agricultural development (ORMVAs) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Sea Fisheries. The ORMVAs are called upon to promote and implement development schemes for the improvement of agricultural productivity, supporting service for farmers. The ORMVA/TF (Tafilalet) has its service area located in the Tafilalet region. The study area (Tafilalet region) is indicated in Figure.