Morocco and Japan signed an exchange of notes and a loan agreement in Rabat on Thursday, November 20, 2025, for the financing of a hydro-agricultural development project in the southeastern part of the Gharb plain. The loan amounts to 64.5 billion yen, or approximately 3.9 billion dirhams, according to a statement from the Japanese Embassy in Morocco.
The ceremony, held at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, took place in the presence of Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate for the Budget, the Japanese Ambassador to Morocco, Nakata Masahiro, and Toyama Kei, Director General of the Middle East and Europe Department of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). The Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Ahmed El Bouari, and the JICA Resident Representative in Morocco, Tomoyuki Kawabata, also attended the event.
The funding is intended for the implementation of a hydro-agricultural project covering 30,000 hectares in the Gharb plain. The operation includes the construction of main canals, the installation of ancillary hydraulic structures and the reinforcement of existing infrastructure, in order to guarantee a more rational use of water resources.
The objective is to improve water efficiency and sustainably increase agricultural production in a region considered one of the most promising agricultural areas in the country. Specifically, the project will cover 20,000 hectares of newly developed land and 10,000 hectares dedicated to securing existing irrigation, benefiting approximately 25,000 people representing more than 3,600 farming households spread across the provinces of Sidi Kacem and Sidi Slimane.
During his speech, the Japanese ambassador, Nakata Masahiro, emphasized the special nature of this signing, the first since he took office in Morocco.
He expressed his satisfaction at seeing Japan contribute to a project directly linked to water management and food security, two issues that have become central to the Kingdom's priorities. He recalled that his visits to various regions of Morocco, particularly Drâa-Tafilalet, had allowed him to observe the country's level of commitment to combating water scarcity, combining large-scale hydraulic infrastructure, traditional know-how, and community initiatives.
Since my arrival last March, I have had the opportunity to visit several regions of Morocco. During my visit to the Drâa-Tafilalet region, I was able to observe the large, modern dams built by the Moroccan government. In Errachidia and Tinghir, I visited sites of projects supported by our embassy, aimed at the construction of water supply canals for domestic consumption and community-based agricultural development, he stated.
The ambassador also mentioned King Mohammed VI's Throne Day speech, in which the proactive and sustainable management of water resources was presented as a priority in the face of increasing water stress and climate change. He commended the efforts of the Moroccan authorities to optimize water use in agriculture and support steady economic growth in the context of climate constraints.
According to the ambassador, the project will enable the construction of an irrigation network linking the Ouergha River to cultivated land. It will contribute to stabilizing agricultural productivity in the Gharb plain and support Morocco's goal of achieving 60% water-efficient irrigation by 2027, a goal in which Japan affirms its commitment to continue participating.
He concluded his speech by referring to the Japanese term Uruosu, a word that means hydrate but also enrich. This term was presented as the synthesis of the ambition behind the project: to enrich the Gharb plain through better-controlled water supply, to enhance the prospects for sustainable agricultural development, and finally, to strengthen relations between the two countries through projects with a strong economic and social impact.
The Gharb plain lies within the Sebou River basin, the richest in water resources in Morocco, with an estimated irrigable potential of 224,000 hectares, nearly half of which remains undeveloped. Modernizing this area is a key lever for supporting national objectives in food security, agricultural development, and climate adaptation. As such, the project aligns with the national guidelines defined by the Generation Green 2020-2030 strategy and the National Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Program 2020-2027, which aim to modernize irrigation systems, reduce water losses, and adopt water-efficient techniques such as drip irrigation.
