Replication site

Türkiye – Aydin Region

WEFE resource status

1. Water

Forty-four years of rainfall data show swings of up to 600 mm between years, with humid and dry periods cycling every 5 to 7 years. Precipitation has declined since 2016, reaching just 99 mm in 2024, under half a normal year. Underground, all three plain aquifers are in deficit: the Souss at 292 Mm³/year, Chtouka at 63.2 Mm³/year, and Tiznit at 1.8 Mm³/year. Water tables have been dropping 0.5 to 2.5 m annually for four decades, seawater has intruded into 20 km² of the Chtouka plain, and dam reservoirs stand at just 19% of capacity as of June 2025.

1. Energy

Groundwater pumping runs mostly on the national grid (70%), with 20% still powered by butane and only 10% by solar. Subsidised butane keeps pumping costs at 0.4 MAD/kWh when the real cost is 1.2 MAD/kWh, making overextraction cheap and routine. The Chtouka desalination plant (400,000 m³/day) is now running but will need solar-wind support to stay cost-effective long term.

1. Food

The basin supplies 85% of Morocco's tomato exports and over 40% of its citrus from 116,735 irrigated hectares. Drip irrigation has reached 95% of its target area, saving 80 Mm³/year, but farm expansion keeps offsetting those savings. Crop water demand is projected to climb 15–25% by 2050, and growing seasons are already 8–18% shorter due to heat stress.

1. Ecosystem

The Arganeraie forest (868,000 ha, UNESCO-listed) is shrinking by 600 ha a year through cutting and encroachment. The Souss-Massa National Park is 50% degraded. Erosion rates of 400–600 tonnes/km²/year are steadily filling the dams with silt. Treated wastewater reuse stands at 14 Mm³/year, well below the 50 Mm³/year that could realistically be recovered by 2050.

WEFE Nexus-based adaptation solutions

1. Solar-powered irrigation systems

Renewable energy is central to the site's approach to more sustainable irrigation. Solar energy powers the irrigation systems directly, cutting reliance on butane and grid electricity that have long driven up both costs and aquifer overextraction. This shift improves energy efficiency across agricultural operations and reduces water wastage by enabling more controlled, on-demand water delivery. In the same spirit, the field equipment installed across the site to monitor soil parameters such as moisture, electrical conductivity, and temperature also runs entirely on solar panels, keeping data collection continuous and self-sufficient without adding to the energy load.

1. Agroforestry model

In the Souss-Massa plain, an agroforestry model based on argan trees and crops is being tested, combining agricultural production with ecosystem restoration. This approach improves soil health, enhances water retention, and reduces erosion, while contributing to carbon sequestration and biodiversity preservation, directly addressing the ongoing degradation of the argan forest across the basin.

1. Technological innovations for soil, water, and tree monitoring

Drone-based (UAV) monitoring is being used across the Souss-Massa Plain to track argan tree mortality, assess the vulnerability of argan ecosystems to climate change, and identify changes in soil conditions. In parallel, soil-monitoring pits installed at two sites measure key parameters, including moisture, electrical conductivity, and temperature. Together, these tools provide reliable data to support early detection, improve resource management, and guide effective climate-adaptation measures.