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Good practice Imported

Restoring Khettara Galleries and Seguia Canals in Morocco's Oases

Morocco · Errachidia · See the Morocco profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 58% 40/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

A $1bn World Bank/AIIB-backed climate programme is restoring 30 underground khettara water galleries and 150km of seguia canals across Morocco's oases, responding to a documented collapse from roughly 80 to just 19 active khettaras in the Tafilalet oasis alone.

~1 USD billion
Total financing
30
Khettaras targeted for restoration
150 km
Seguia canals targeted for restoration
~6,000 hectares
Irrigated land to be secured
~3,000
Beneficiary farmers
Restoring Khettara Galleries and Seguia Canals in Morocco's Oases

Details

Maturity
Pilot
Promoter
Government of Morocco — Direction de l'Irrigation et de l'Aménagement de l'Espace Agricole, with World Bank and AIIB co-financing
Period
Approved June 2023, scheduled to close December 2029
Keywords
water infrastructure, oasis agriculture, climate adaptation, traditional irrigation

Context

Khettaras are ancient gravity-fed underground galleries tapping shallow aquifers for oasis farmland in Morocco's Tafilalet basin; decades of groundwater overexploitation have left only about 19 active khettaras from a historical roughly 80.

Activities

The Morocco Climate Operation (World Bank Program-for-Results, project P178763, approved June 2023) targets restoring 30 khettaras and 150km of seguia canals, financed at close to $1 billion (World Bank $350m, AIIB $200m, Government of Morocco $450m), implemented via the Direction de l'Irrigation with local Water User Associations, closing December 2029.

Conclusions

This is an active, in-progress programme whose restoration targets are financing triggers tied to verified results, not yet-confirmed outcomes; earlier smaller-scale rehabilitation had a mixed track record depending on wider groundwater management.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Very high (> €5M) — Close to $1 billion (World Bank $350m, AIIB $200m, Government of Morocco $450m).
Time to results
Long (> 3 years) — Approved June 2023, scheduled to close December 2029 (c. 6.5 years).
Staffing & skills
Direction de l'Irrigation et de l'Amenagement de l'Espace Agricole, Local Water User Associations

Conditions for success

  • Groundwater management alongside infrastructure repair
  • Continued results-linked disbursement

Common failure modes

  • Earlier 2008-2011 khettara rehabilitation achieved only partial, rainfall-dependent revival

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Data sources

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