To this end, a process has been launched to select a specialized entity to carry out the study. The study will make it possible to reassess the current state of small and medium-scale irrigation in the province and its development prospects, taking into account the changes that have occurred since the previous master plan was drawn up.
The study will focus on updating records of irrigation areas covered by small and medium-scale irrigation, assessing the condition of existing core water infrastructure and identifying new opportunities for irrigation development using existing or planned small and medium-sized dams.
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The previous irrigation master plan for the province was drawn up in 2014 as part of a study conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture. The new plan is expected to play an important role in updating available agricultural and water data to reflect changes that have taken place since then, including developments in water infrastructure, irrigated areas, allocated resources, beneficiaries and irrigation project management methods.
The study seeks to achieve two objectives. The first is to update data on small and medium-scale irrigation in the province and improve the inventory and assessment of water resources from small and medium-sized dams, drawing on the Geographic Information System database and the 2014 master plan. The second is to explore prospects for developing and updating the program by identifying agricultural areas with promising irrigation potential.
The study will include updating the province’s geographic database to provide a tool that improves the monitoring and planning of interventions. It will also carry out a diagnostic assessment of the current state of water and irrigation infrastructure to identify rehabilitation, improvement or expansion needs, while measuring changes since the previous master plan was established and adapting the new plan to the specific needs and current priorities of the agricultural sector at the provincial level.
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The study will also identify new irrigation areas supplied by existing or planned dams and examine irrigation potential linked to different types of dams, as well as floodwater diversion structures. It will then identify available water resources, how they can be distributed and the main infrastructure required to extend irrigation networks.
The study will also prioritize the identified irrigation areas according to technical, hydraulic, economic, agricultural and socioeconomic criteria. It will cover the entire territory of Taounate Province while taking into account the locations of existing water facilities, available water resources, existing or planned infrastructure and access conditions to agricultural areas.
