Morocco: The Difference A Road Makes

As you thread the narrow streets of a Moroccan town, bustling as it was in the 9th century, history comes to life—of a civilization going back as far as 500 BC and of dynasties that twice conquered most of Spain. Then, departing from the old quarter, you begin to experience an explosion of the new. You notice entire towns being built from scratch, little schools dotting the countryside, and miles and miles of irrigation ditches.

Thanks to money from emigrants and tourists, profits from phosphate, and a stable government, in 1999 the signs of Moroccan modernization were palpable. The government has been able to engineer growth through rigorous stabilization and good debt management. Gross national product per capita is around US$1,250 per year. But a huge disparity between rural and urban prosperity draws people to the cities, even though jobs there are scarce.

In the countryside, old farming methods, low-value crops, and patchy health care and schooling keep many Moroccans mired in poverty. Thus, there is an urgent need for vigorous growth.

The country has taken aim at its poverty. The government has started investing heavily in irrigated agriculture and better crops, food self-suffciency, health, and education. Roads, the focus of this chapter, form the armature for these services, which seek to help the rural population prosper and reduce income disparities between regions.

For the foreign visitor to the rural areas of countries such as Morocco, one of the chief attractions is the absence of the material junk and blandness that seem to accompany development. Any backpacker who has trekked the roadless byways of the developing world becomes attached to the unspoiled isolation, but also concerned about the poverty. It is unpleasant to recognize that what charms the visitor sometimes severely taxes the inhabitants, especially the women.

In the past I couldn't afford fertilizer. The trip cost 60DH for myself and 120DH for the sack-more than fertilizer cost. Now I pay 5DH for my one-hour ride...with fertilier, I can get much better yields, and again thanks to the road I can quickly get my produce to the market.

Roads, Families, Farms, and Villages: The Transformation Of An Economy

What difference does a road make? What happens to people? Their farms? Their lives? In 1996, the World Bank Operations Evaluation Department asked these questions of people living along rural roads in several distinct Moroccan regions, each with different soils, rainfall patterns, and economies.

The four roads under study were among 10 that were from 30 to 50 km long, which previously had been gravel or unimproved track with traffic volumes generally below 100 vehicles per day. During the course of the World Bank's Fourth Highway Project (1983-90), these roads were paved, with dramatic results.

1995 To 2005: A 15,000-Kilometer Commitment

By 1995, Morocco had 57,500 kilometers of road. About half were paved. But 40 percent were in bad condition and a quarter were impassable during bad weather. One-fifth of the country's villages remained totally isolated, inaccessible by vehicle.

The government and the World Bank continue to see roads as critical for development. A government commitment to improve or pave another 15,000 kilometers is well under way. That's a lot of road—more than three times the distance across the United States.

The weather has a habit of sabotaging the best of human intentions. In 1994-95, a drought reduced Morocco's agricultural gross domestic product by 45 percent. Heavy rains in 1995-96 brought a quick recovery of harvests and replenishment of aquifers and man-made reservoirs. But, for a number of months, the already poor rural areas were struck very hard.

Consistent with the government's strategic plan and in record time, the World Bank responded with the Emergency Drought Recovery Project. The project brought assistance in agriculture and drinking water and supported the construction and rehabilitation of 1,650 kilometers of rural roads. The project was completed in three years and was rated highly satisfactory by the Bank's Operations Evaluation Department.

The Bank is financing another 1,235 kilometers of rural roads under the Secondary, Tertiary, and Rural Roads Project (1996-2001).

The Coming Challenge

There are two sides to Morocco: the rich modern, urban side and the neglected, poor rural side. Roads are helping to change the balance, and so are the schools, clinics, and other services which are being put into place along the roads. But there remain deep social disparities and a need for jobs, which can be met as Morocco moves further toward a truly modern economy.

Project Team

Mohammed Feghoul, task team leader, Secondary, Tertiary and Rural Roads Project. Trayambkeshwar Sinha, task team leader, Emergency Drought Recovery Project. Hernan Levy, oed evaluation team leader. Henri Beenhakker, Ja·ar Bentchikou, J. Benzekri, Adel Bichara, Abdeljalil Bounhar, M. Bounouar, K. Ghellab, Janati Idrissi, A. Imzel, Majid Kettani, Karim Laraki, Linda Likar, Michel A. Loir, James Lowenthal, Brigitte Meline, Klaus Mersman, Driss Meski, A. R'mili, Isabelle Tsakok, Claudine Voyadzis. Christiane Delvoie, country director.

RELATED LINKS
Morocco country page
Rural Development and Agriculture