Two agreements aimed at promoting sustainable agricultural water management and better climate resilience in agriculture were signed on Tuesday in Meknès, on the sidelines of the 17th edition of the International Agricultural Show in Morocco (SIAM).
These agreements were initialed by the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, Ahmed El Bouari, and the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, at the end of the inaugural session of a high-level international conference held under the theme “Water Management: For Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture.”
The first agreement concerns the project for participatory management of the Fès-Meknès aquifer. It provides for the establishment of a concerted action program bringing together all stakeholders, with the aim of ensuring the environmental and economic sustainability of the Fès-Meknès aquifer through integrated and sustainable water resource management.
This mechanism aims to ensure a balance between the preservation of the ecosystem and the satisfaction of social and economic needs related to agricultural, industrial, and urban activities in the region.
The second agreement, on the other hand, concerns the fields of agriculture, meteorology, and climate. It establishes a framework for cooperation and coordination between the two ministries through the exchange of data, information, and expertise, the development of climate services dedicated to the agricultural sector, as well as the strengthening of the capacities of stakeholders in the field.
The theme of this conference is particularly relevant in the context of intensifying climate change. Moreover, this meeting was punctuated by two thematic panels dedicated, on the one hand, to the Water-Agriculture alliance as a lever for climate change adaptation, and on the other hand, to integrated strategies and innovations for efficient agricultural water management.
At the end of the panel discussions, reflections and successful experiences were shared by participants on strengthening the integrated and rational management of resources, management innovations, and exploring suitable financing mechanisms, as well as developing common approaches for a more resilient agriculture in the face of water challenges.
These exchanges open new perspectives to support public policies engaged in the fields of water and agriculture.
Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, SIAM 2025, which sees the participation of 1,500 exhibitors from 70 countries, is initiated under the theme “Agriculture and Rural World: Water at the Heart of Sustainable Development.”
A true crossroads of agricultural policies, this show constitutes a significant moment to promote exchanges, consolidate international partnerships, and highlight concrete responses to the challenges facing the agricultural sector.*
MAP