Soil degradation in Central Rif mountains area in northern Morocco: aspects of losses and failure of development programs

Abstract

In the Rif region in northern Morocco, the degradation of the environment exposes the soil to aggressive erosion agents, especially in the Mediterranean climate in which the evacuation of 2000 tons of soil per km² per year is a basic average. In these difficult environments is necessary to manage the resource effectively by anticipation the situations of dry and wet years. Several development programs have been carried out in the Rif zone since 1960s and the problem persists, especially with the arrival of the new agriculture of Cannabis (Drug) in 1995 in the southern part of the study area which is characterized by its precarious environmental balance. This paper aims to examine the aspects of soil degradation and analyse the failure factors of the management programs and projects have been conducted by several national and international stakeholders including EU and UN.