CONSERVATION DES RESSOURCES NATURELLES

The Natural Resources Conservation Project (PCRN) is the first project of the Bank Group in Morocco in the forestry sector. It was conceived within the framework of the national development plans of 1988-1992 and 1993-1997 of the forest sector of Morocco which was to allow thanks to the reforestation and various developments to rebuild forest resources, develop silvopastoralism, open up certain forest areas, while preserving natural ecosystems and biodiversity. The project can be considered as a large-scale test of the Department's ability to organize, coordinate, execute these programs as well as revealing external and internal constraints, some of which repeat themselves are of a structural nature (climatic constraints, budget cuts, administrative procedures, logistical means). Its implementation is based on the execution of 7 components namely: (i) the reforestation of 10,000 ha of pines and eucalyptus, (ii) the development of 284,700 ha of new plan forests and 80,200 ha of plan revision, (iii) silvo-pastoral management, which includes the depressing of the holm oak, matorral control, fertilization, herbaceous planting, planting of fodder shrubs and fencing, (iv) assisted regeneration by sowing and planting in natural forests as well as defenciation and complementary regeneration by concentrated planting and fencing in forest gaps, (v) watershed management, (vi) strengthening forestry services, (vii) carrying out studies on protected areas and the watershed of Wadi Ouergha.