WMOD00318

• Title: A Cooperative Project Between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States
• Date: 9/1/1989
• Country: United States, Morocco
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

-

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Drought Prior to Programme AI Ghait

Generally dry conditions began in Morocco in 1975. A serious drought began in the water year of
1981 (September 1, 1980, to August 31, 1981), with precipitation ranging from 40 to 60 percent
below normal in important agricultural areas (especially in central Morocco), severely reducing the
country's water supply. Comparable precipitation deficiencies had not occurred since the late
1930's. Overall, the following (1982) water year was slightly less dry, but brought a shift in the
precipitation distribution with the greatest deficiency in the north. The 1983 water year had the
worst precipitation deficits since the drought started; precipitation amounts nationwide ranged from
40 to 80 percent below normal. There was a slight increase in precipitation during the 1984 water
year, but accumulations still ranged from 20 to 40 percent below normal. The 4-year cumulative
precipitation deficiency was over 120 percent of yearly normal in much of the central, southern, and
eastern areas. Ground-water storage and reservoir supplies were in great part depleted. Reservoirs
held about 10 to 20 percent of their normal capacity, and many were under their minimum
operating level. Before 1980 hydroelectric power had met about 30 percent of the nation's energy
needs; by 1984 the corresponding figure was down to 8 percent. The social and economic impact
of the drought, considered to be the worst in modern history, was compounded by greatly increased
demand for additional water resources caused by rapid population growth, urbanization,
industrialization, and expansion of irrigation.

1.2 Establishment of Programme AI Ghait

Weather modification to increase precipitation had been attempted in Morocco several times prior
to the serious drought which began in 1980. In the 1950's, officials of the colonial administration
had contracted with a private firm from the United States for cloud seeding to increase
precipitation over a portion of the Atlas Mountains. It is difficult to specify the net results of the
seeding operations.

At the direction of His Majesty King Hassan II, Government of Morocco (GOM) officials
investigated the possibility of using weather modification to increase precipitation during the
drought of the early 1980's. The GOM created a high-level committee to supervise and coordinate
its weather modification activities, which were organized under the title of Programme AI Ghait.
Personnel of the National Meteorological Organization (Direction de la Meteorologie Nationale,
or DMN) and the Moroccan Royal Air Force (Forces Royales Air, or FRA) collaborated in the
conduct of some experimental cloud seeding flights in 1982 and 1983 using an Alpha Jet trainer to
drop pyrotechnic flares containing 20 grams of silver iodide each into rising convective cloud towers.
The committee also conducted a series of meetings to acquaint administrators, technical experts,
and public leaders with the weather modification program.

1.3 United States Support of Programme AI Ghait

In June 1983, at the direction of His Majesty King Hassan II, the GOM requested assistance from
the United States with Programme AI Ghait. Specifically, the GOM requested help from the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID) to mitigate the severe drought in Morocco and
to improve the ability of the National Meteorological Organization to conduct effective weather