Supporting the project over time

The hydro-agricultural development project for the Saïss is not just a hydraulic works project. It is also a project that affects a territory, natural resources and sensitive environments. That is why an environmental monitoring system was planned from the design stage.

Environmental monitoring is based on three straightforward ideas:

• prevent by identifying potential risks upstream;
• monitor the actual evolution of the environment during and after the works;
• correct if unwanted impacts appear.

It is a system that operates with indicators, measurements, reports and clearly defined responsibilities.

What is actually monitored?

Several environmental components are supervised.

Water resources: The project is specifically intended to reduce pressure on the aquifer and to restore its balance over time.
Monitoring therefore focuses on:

• changes in piezometric levels,
• the quantity of water pumped and used,
• the gradual use of surface water.

Objective: to verify that the aquifer is stabilising and that the transition towards more sustainable management is actually working.

Natural environments and the territory: The works and infrastructures run through agricultural areas, sometimes close to natural zones.
Environmental monitoring therefore looks at:

• soil conditions,
• the protection of sensitive areas,
• changes in vegetation and agricultural land.

Objective: to ensure that the project is properly integrated into the territory.

Work-related impacts: A project of this scale involves machinery, movements, noise and earthworks.
These aspects are monitored, supervised, and must remain within acceptable thresholds:

• management of excavated and backfill materials,
• compliance with environmental rules on work sites.

Environmental monitoring in service of the territory

The final objective is clear:

• protect the aquifer,
• avoid deviations,
• ensure that the project contributes to sustainable development.

This environmental monitoring is therefore there to support the project, observe what is changing, and help make corrections when necessary.
It is what makes it possible to say that this project is an approach designed to last, with better-protected water resources, and a territory that remains productive and balanced.