Morocco to plant 27 million trees in 2007

The Moroccan government is planning to plant 27 million trees across the nation in 2007 within the framework of the campaign "planting for the nation," the government has announced.

This initiative is open to individuals and organizations from as diverse backgrounds as the civil society, the private and the public sectors, youth associations, schools, community groupings and municipalities, according to a statement released on Monday by the Moroccan High Commission for water, forestry and for the fight against desertification.

The annual reafforestation program undertaken by the commission will cover 35,000 hectares and will involve native tree species as well as new ones.

The program is hoping to reclaim forest areas, which have been destroyed, by concerted development plans by ensuring a balance between the demand for the exploitation of forest resources and the need to regenerate and reconstitute the forest ecosystem.

In order to satisfy the demand for forestry products, the high commission on average produces 40 million sapplings annually in tree nurseries spread across the country's major forestry zones.

Morocco's Drought

One complicating factor is the ongoing drought. The severe rainfall shortage has prompted the heads of regional councils to address a petition to Prime Minister, Driss Jettou to urge the government to "step up the implementation of a program to reduce the effects of drought and support farmers."

The alarm was sounded by regional officials during a meeting on Monday in the central city of Meknès as a reaction to the difficult weather conditions that have marked the 2006-2007 crop year. The rainfall shortage nearing is 44% below average.

There has been a notable decrease in the amount of cultivated land, especially in terms of autumn cereals, and also a degradation of the situation of plants in several regions.

In November, Minister of Territory Development, Water and Environment, Mohamed El Yazghi, warned against a possible shortage of water for Morocco despite the existence of over 100 dams.

The general belief is that Morocco is spared any possible water shortage is an erroneous and dangerous belief, the minister stated.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news