Rural Development Programme in the Mountain Zones - Phase I

This programme is designed to improve living conditions for rural people in mountainous zones of Morocco, where climate change has caused erosion and desertification. It has two components:

• Agricultural value chain development and value addition
• Sustainable natural resource management, climate change adaptation and diversification.

The programme area includes 32 rural communes in the provinces of d'Azilal and Séfrou, where 80 per cent of the surface area is mountainous. It will target rural communities with high incidences of poverty and vulnerability, and areas with significant soil degradation, with a particular focus on women and young people.