Conference in Abu Dhabi Spotlights Morocco’s Oasis Preservation Initiative

Rabat – Morocco showcased its commitment to sustainable agriculture at the Ministerial Conference of Date Producing and Processing Countries held in Abu Dhabi.

Led by Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Sadiki, the Moroccan delegation spearheaded discussions on the implementation of the Sustainable Oasis Initiative, a groundbreaking endeavor initiated by the Kingdom during COP22 in Marrakech back in 2016.

This year’s ministerial conference includes two high-level ministerial meetings of agriculture ministers from date-producing and processing countries.

The first is set to focus on monitoring and evaluating the results of the integrated management project for the red palm weevil bug, and the second is related to the government’s effort for the Sustainable Oasis Initiative.

During his intervention on this occasion, the minister presented the Sustainable Oasis Initiative, developed in coordination and consultation with all partners and introduced by Morocco in November 2016 on the sidelines of the COP22 held in Marrakech.

Since its launch, the initiative has been the subject of numerous events organized at the national and international levels.

Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Sadiki speaking at the event

The minister emphasized in his speech the importance of oases, which constitute unique ecosystems that harbor specific agricultural products and spaces with distinct natural, cultural, and urban heritage.

With the scarcity of natural resources and the acceleration of urbanization coupled with strong human pressure, oases are exposed to a real threat. The constant disruption to the balance of these ecosystems has negative consequences for their continuity and sustainability, potentially leading them to be endangered, the minister explained.

He sounded the alarm on the threat to oasis areas in light of the global climate crisis, and the mounting pressures on natural resources on the other hand.

Sadiki also recalled that Morocco attaches great importance to these endangered areas. The country has worked to develop strategies and establish specialized institutions that ensure their development and sustainability.

High-level ministerial discussions at the event

He further stressed the need to prioritize efforts to find more effective preventive measures and solutions to enable oases to adapt to the challenges and constraints limiting their sustainability.

To this end, Morocco organized the 1st edition of the International Congress of Oases and Date Palm at the end of May 2023 to exchange ideas, expertise, and experiences and implement the objectives of the initiative.

In his address, the minister called for continued mobilization around the issue of adapting oasis systems to climate change.

Sadiki also expressed Morocco’s willingness to lay the groundwork for an institutional structure that brings together all countries concerned with oases to implement the objectives of the Sustainable Oasis Initiative.