On December 27, 2022, at the headquarters of the Province of Ifrane, the 2023-2024 framework partnership agreement for the ecological restoration of Lake Dayet Aoua was signed to begin the first phase of rehabilitation costing 6.1 million dirhams.
Dry since the end of 2018, Dayet Aoua is historically considered one of Morocco’s most famous and visited lakes, and one of the most precious mountain wetlands with remarkable and varied habitats. In a pioneering move at national level, based on a participative and integrated approach to the conservation of water resources and natural wetlands, a framework partnership agreement for the restoration of Lake Dayet Aoua was signed on December 27, 2022 at the headquarters of the Province of Ifrane.
This ecological restoration project, part of the Sebou Water Fund program, involves several stakeholders, namely: the Province of Ifrane, the Commune of Dayet Aoua, the Sebou Water Basin Agency, the Regional Directorate of the Agence Nationale des Eaux et Forêts – Région Fès Meknès, the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture of Ifrane and the Living Planet Morocco Organization.
The 2023-2024 program, set out in this framework partnership agreement, will be based on the completion of a series of engineering and geotechnical studies to initiate work on the rehabilitation and construction of the seguias located in the lake’s hydrological basin, the installation of a lake preservation structure with the aim of reducing underground runoff, and the development of a feeder canal for the Z1 zone, considered to be the natural part of this wetland. The Dayet Aoua lake restoration project will also involve raising awareness and rationalizing the use of water resources in the Dayet Aoua Commune.
The estimated overall cost of this restoration phase for Lake Dayet Aoua is 6.10 million dirhams, of which Living Planet Morocco will contribute 3.5 million dirhams thanks to the financial support of several international partners and donors, including the MAVA Foundation and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP).
Ultimately, the aim of this project is to regenerate the ecological, landscape, cultural and socio-economic potential of Dayet Aoua by contributing to the enhancement of its heritage values and current ecological functions. It should be noted that this lake is designated as a National Site of Biological and Ecological Interest, an Area of International Importance for Birds and an important wetland in the Ramsar site “Lacs d’Imouzzer du Kandar”.
