Salinization of Soils and Aquifers in Morocco and the Alternatives of Response

Abstract

The agriculture sector in Morocco contributes significantly to the economic development of the country; however, this sector faces several challenges. One of these important challenges is the increasing level of salinization in soils and groundwater. This has a strong impact on food security by reducing agricultural yield. The origin of salinization is usually due to marine intrusion in coastal areas, dissolution of saline aquifer rocks and infiltration of poor-quality irrigation water in the case of groundwater. In the case of soils, it is caused by irrigation with poor-quality water in poorly drained soils, and by evaporation of the water of shallow groundwater, which leads to a saline concentration in the surface layers of soils, as well as ‘other’ origins. Thus, many regions of Morocco are affected by this phenomenon, especially arid and semi regions with a low rainfall rate. Among the existing alternatives to contain this challenge in Morocco and in the arid and semi-arid regions in particular is the use desalination of sea water and biosaline agriculture. The adoption of the first option aims at the preservation of local production and adaptation in the context of scarcity of water resources and low quality of water for the second. The goal of this review is to present an update of the state of the salinization of Moroccan soils and aquifers and the potential alternatives to respond to these challenges.