RIPDES (CLOSED)

Agriculture and breeding are the main activities of Moroccan economy. However, they are the most vulnerable, either because of the environmental and climatic processes that are seriously compromising the development, or because of obstacles linked to the infrastructure lack. The area of the project is located in North-West of Marrakech and comprises the territories of four rural municipalities: Ouled Dlim, M'Nahba, Harbil, and Ouhate Sidi Brahim). Most of the area is destined to breeding and very aleatory rainfed cereal crops for animal food. The abundance of harvests are totally dependent on climatic conditions.This area has already been interested from plans aimed to fight against desertification and rural development. Rehabilitation of such degraded area is carried out by planting arido resistant fodder shrubs (mainly Atriplex nummularia) particularly adapted to arid conditions, with the double scope to produce biomass for animal and to mitigate the soil degradation processes leading to desertification.

Title and acronym: Rural Development and productive rehabilitation in desertified grazing lands - RIPDES

Dates: from April 2009 to January 2011

Location: Wilaya - Marrakesh, rural commons of Ouled Dlim, M'Nahba Harbil, Ouahate Sidi Brahim

Partnership: Agenzia Laore, Sardegna-Italy, Agenzia AGRIS, Sardegna-Italy, DPA (Agricultural Provincial Direction), Marrakesh- Morocco

Source of Funding: Regione Autonoma della Sardegna, Regional law n°19 (11 April 1996)

Role of NRD: partner

Scientific responsible: Prof. M. Mulas

NRD members and staff involved: Dott. D. Bellavite, Dott. C. Zucca, Dott.ssa. O. Belkheiri, Dott. M. Lubino.

Keywords: Rangelands, desertification, rural development, fodder shrubs, food security