Obstacles facing the diffusion of drip irrigation technology in the Middle Atlas region of Morocco

Research was conducted by the author and an inter-disciplinary team at Al Akhawayn University, Morocco, under a Canadian (IDRC) grant between 2009 and 2011. Using various methodologies, including survey research, the team found several significant obstacles facing the diffusion of drip irrigation technology in the Middle Atlas region of Morocco. These obstacles include lack of access to capital, land titles that cannot be mortgaged, and a weak presence of the relevant bureaucracies at the farm level. The implications of these obstacles in terms of responding to climate change and aquifer depletion are addressed as part of the paper.