ABSTRACTMorocco is fighting its sixth year of drought. As part of its comprehensive response to the drought, the Moroccan cabinet passed order 2.23.105 in December 2023. The new rules require the regulation of well drilling entities. The problem of illegal wells, often dug by farmers who do not know that they need a license, represented a threat to the country's water tables long before the current drought and constitutes a significant barrier towards the adoption of effective Integrated Water Resource Management and Demand Side Management policies. The paper is based on an examination of the current laws including order 2.23.105, by applying the eightfold path of policy analysis, interviews with water officials, and including the views of farmers concerning their efficacy. The paper argues that the state is an essential player in framing an effective response to drought and to climate change. Soil and Water Analysis Tools (SWAT) like ArcSWAT will help improve the state's response and enable it to identify and engage key stakeholders.
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