A decision support model to improve water resources management in agriculture: evaluation of the drip irrigation efficiency in the Ait Ben Yacoub region, East of Morocco

¹ Mohammadia School of Engineering, Mohamed V University, Rabat, Morocco
² High National School of Mines of Rabat, Morocco 3Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, Institute Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco
³ Research team of environment and natural resources management, B2DRN Laboratory, Khenifra Higher School of Technology, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Morocco

^* Corresponding author: elouadihssan@gmail.com

Abstract

Globally, climate change is projected to exacerbate water scarcity and increase the recurrence and intensity of droughts. These circumstances call for methodologies that can support the design of sustainable water management policies. Improved irrigation efficiency has been cited as an important way to adapt to climate change. This paper illustrates the potential of hydro-economic modeling for integrating the multiple dimensions of water resources, becoming a valuable tool in the empowerment of sustainable water management policies. The modelling framework is used also to analyze the impacts of climate change-induced drought on water uses in the Ait Ben Yacoub region (the East of Morocco). The evaluation of the conversion process from flurrow irrigation systems into drip irrigation by using the model showed that this policy has some positive effects on the agricultural gross margin and contributes to slightly moderating the impact of climate change on farmer’s incomes. Moreover, aoptimal efficiency of drip irrigation will inevitably result in a decrease in the volume of infiltrated water and therefore a very likely drawdown of the groundwater level. This result demonstrates the limitation of this policy and the necessity to accompany this irrigation system by measures of improvement of water supply. It concerns rainwater storage basins that should be covered by the polyethylene geo-membrane as example of promising measures.