GlobalStudies06

Morocco has an interestingly diverse environment.  Morocco is surrounded by a long coastline on one sideand the Sahara Desert on the other.  THe Atlas mountains run the length of the country near its center.  While the mountains separate an area of farmable land from the desert, they have not traditionally been a barrier from invaders.  Serveral times over the past 1000 years, groups of invaders have come from the desert into Morocco major coastal cities to take politcal control.  While the farmable areas in north near the city of Fes have gone through periods of intense drought, the areaaround Casablanca remained green with plenty of rain.  Agriculture employs half of the popultaion and with few other industries, development of economy, means that many irrigation projects with dams and water mangement being important. On the desert side of the mountains in the area of the hamada which is a place so hot and dry that the rocks turn black, the only agriculture is done where there are oasas and seasonal river valleys where springs water runoff from the Atlas mountains.  This water is collected by small earthen banks.  Plants that exist in dry conditions are being planted to hold back the push of desertification.
      On the west side of the mountains, an almost alpine climate exists with much water, snow in the mountains, and forests of Atlas cedar trees.  WHile some of these trees are protected, trees in other areas are the only source of fuel for people in areas like the Todra Gorge on the desert side.  People in this area travel father an father to get wood for fuel, but don’t plant new trees which take a long time to grow and won’t be of immediate benefit.  With fewer trees, the soil erodes and desert sand moves in.
      The major industry is mining of phosphates with some oil production.  These industries can help destroy areas with fragile ecosystems.

Questions:
1. Is it better to export food and use the money for other things or feed the country with food grown there?

2. Is it worth it to become dependant on aid from Western countries for the machinery for irrigtion systems that help grow more crops?

3. Is it good to re-establish animals for their meat or milk in dry areas where they eat almost all the vegetation and contribute to the desertification process?

4. How can the government turn back the desertification process?

5.  Is it better to recover oil and mine for phosphates even if it add to the problem of desertification and harms fragile desert ecosystems?

Works cited:

"Agriculture." Mincom. Apr. 2006. 15 Oct. 2006 .

"The fight against desertification." Eden Foundation. Summer 2006. 15 Oct. 2006
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"Morocco." WorldinFozone. Fall 2006. 15 Oct. 2006
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"Environmental policy in Morocco." Netcomuk. Oct. 2006. 15 Oct. 2006
http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/jpap/weid.htm.

- Torri C