Small scale Climate Change water sector project preparation in Souss Massa

The Global Alliance for Water and Climate’s Incubation Platform (GAWCIP) was established at COP22 to launch “100 projects for water and climate change in Africa”. The objective of this platform  is to bridge the gap between donors and project holders (a lack of good and fundable projects, mixed with the complexity of water and climate finance and the lack of local capacity for project design) in particular for micro or small projects at local levels. In 2019, the French Water Agencies mandated the International Office for Water (OIEau) to support the preparation to 20 projects on water and adaptation to climate change in different African countries in the next 5 years. The Souss Massa region in Morocco is one the targeted area, where 2 projects have been identified and are under preparation with a strong commitment of local stakeholders and the population. One is related to the preservation and development of Tiout oasis heritage thanks to a sustainable agro-touristic activity based on a better water valuation, while the second one aims at improving the resilience of rural population in Arghen river basin (covering 6 municipalities) by strengthening water supply and sanitation as well as protecting agricultural areas from more and more server flash floods. On 2 December 2019, a Local Water Commission gathering all key players reviewed the preparation process of the 2 projects under the hospice of the Governor of Taroudant province. Municipalities, the river basin agency, regional water directorate, agriculture authority as well as the national water authority (ONEE) are committed to provided technical studies for the implementation of these projects.