U.S. Water News Online
LINCOLN, Neb. -- University of Nebraska scientists will help their counterparts in drought-prone Morocco better anticipate, monitor, prepare for, and respond to drought.
The National Drought Mitigation Center at NU recently agreed to collaborate with the Moroccan government on a three-year project to develop a National Drought Observatory Center in the African country.
Drought preparedness is a big issue in Morocco, which suffered droughts during the 1980s and frequently during the 1990s, said Don Wilhite, director of the National Drought Mitigation Center.
During the project's first two years, Wilhite said he expects three or four NU scientists to trade campuses for a few weeks with colleagues from the Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science in Rabat, Morocco.
"We hope this project might lead to some longer-term collaboration not only on drought issues but water resource issues in general," he said.
The collaboration will allow scientists from both countries to compare notes on how they assess the frequency, severity and localization of drought, and drought's effects on crops, livestock, rural population, and the environment, he said.
"I never see these relationships as a one-way transfer of information," Wilhite said. "We expect to learn a lot from this interaction that will benefit Nebraska and the United States."
The Nebraskans will help the Moroccans develop a national drought policy that won't be discarded between drought cycles, he said.
Droughts can't be prevented, but countries can develop plans and policies to reduce risks associated with drought, he said. Examples include adopting programs to reduce vulnerability of water supply systems to water shortages or modifying crop management practices to reduce crop losses during droughts. Detecting emerging drought early also is critical for taking actions to mitigate drought.
Wilhite said the Lincoln-based National Drought Mitigation center's integrated approach to preparing for drought is a model for the Moroccans.
The center promotes and conducts research and outreach activities on drought mitigation and preparedness. It's already collaborating with Brazil, Mexico, Nicaragua, Argentina, Uruguay, Hungary, and other counties on drought monitoring and planning. The center is part of NU's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
"As far as I know, we're the only organization of our kind in the world," Wilhite said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Agency for International Development are funding the Morocco project.
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