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<br />EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br /> <br />The KingdDm of ~lorocco established Programme AI Ghait in the early 1980's as an emergem:y <br />respor;se to a se\-ere. prolonged drought. Its primary goal was to utilize weather modification <br />techniques to augment rair.fall. In 1983, at the direction of His Majesty King Hassan II, the <br />Go\-eElment of ~lcrccco (GOM) requested assistance with the project from the United States of <br />America (CSA). The LS Agency for International Development (USAID) signed an agreement <br />with GO~1 in \lay 198-t to initiate a $6 million technical assistance program that provided both <br />scientific equipment and training for the project, making Programme AJ Ghait a joint USA-GOM <br />und~rtaking. <br /> <br />The primary objecti\-es of the joint project were to: <br /> <br />1. Implement a scientificaliy based cloud seeding demonstration program for winter <br />precipitation augmentation over the upper portion of the Oued Oum Er Rbia basin in the <br />Atlas ~Iountains to alleviate the existing drought conditions, assess the amount of additional <br />water produced in the river freservoir system as a result of the demonstration program, and <br />evaluate the effects of increased winter precipitation on runoff and its subsequent uses. <br /> <br />") Examine cloud and precipitation processes to improve the scientific basis of the <br />demonstration program and obtain evidence of its physical plausibility. <br /> <br />3. Concurrent \vith the first {,,,.o objectives~ transfer \\!inter precipitation augmentation <br />technoJos'y through informal and formal training to enable Moroccan personnel to design. <br />plan. implement. monitor. and evaluate similar winter precipitation augmentation projects <br />over the mountainous areas of ~-Iorocco. <br /> <br />4. Increase the a\':areness of the need for an improved water management program in the <br />Oued Oum Er Rbia basin which would consider weather modification as one of many water <br />resources options. <br /> <br />These ohjecti';es were largely attained during the past 5 years. <br /> <br />Institutional Structure <br /> <br />Programme Al Ghait was established by His Majesty King Hassan II under the "Haut <br />Coordonnateur." General Kabbaj of the Royal Air Force (FRA), and his Project Manager, Colonel <br />Bama:uouf. The project grant agreement was administered by Mr. Bensari, Director of the <br />National yleteorological Organization (Direction de la Meteorologie Nationale, or DMN), and <br />Coionel Bamaarouf. ~-Ir. Benarafa, Director of the project, and Mr. Loukah, Deputy Director, led <br />a t~am of over 50 meteorologists. technicians. and observers from the DMN and more than <br />10 pilots and 20 supporting aircraft mechanics and technicians from the FRA. These personnel <br />\J,:ere dedicated to cloud seeding operations, scientific data collection, and analysis_ <br /> <br />The Moroccan contributions, which totaJed about $7 million in facilities and services, included over <br />100 personnel. facilities for personneJ and equipment at all project sites, cloud seeding aircraft. <br />and ground-based silver iodide generators for seeding, complete with operators and maintenance. <br />Facilities for project management, direction of operations, equipment maintenance and supply, data <br /> <br />v <br />