Rural Development Project in the Mountain Zones of Al Haouz Province

The project intended improve the incomes of poor rural women, men and young people, among 8,500 rural households of the mountain zones of the Al Haouz province, involved in the three agricultural production sub-sectors (olive, apple and lamb-meat). More specifically the project raised the productivity and quality of the three products, enhanced the value added of the targeted products through processing and packaging, and improved producers’ access to more lucrative markets. In addition, the project increased women’s participation in the planning and implementation of project activities by providing technical and organizational capacity-building which facilitated access to credit. It further rehabilitated 58 irrigation schemes covering 4,000 ha, supported soil and water conservation and land improvement activities.

On land and natural resource governance, the project provided support for the formation of WUAs and for collective rangeland management, paying attention to issues related to gender inequalities.