Opportunity in the Oasis: Creating Jobs for the Next Generation in Rural Morocco

Covering 15 percent of Morocco, oasis landscapes support rural jobs and economic activities, especially in natural resource-based sectors. In these oasis landscapes, life depends on a carefully managed balance among its key landscape components: water resources, agriculture systems, and community stewardship. For generations, traditional farming practices have sustained these fragile ecosystems. Today, however, this balance is increasingly threatened by rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and declining water availability, placing growing pressure on the land and people who depend on it. In the last two decades, the population of Tata Province has halved, as young people leave in search of economic opportunities further afield. Fewer young people have consequences for both the ecosystem and rural economy that it underpins. The challenge underscores a broader reality: nature is not simply an environmental asset, but foundational infrastructure for poverty reduction, economic opportunity, and a better quality of life. To reverse this trend, the Government of Morocco, with support from the World Bank Group through PROGREEN, is investing in a new model that links ecosystem resilience with job creation and channels investment to where need is greatest and impact is highest. The approach aligns with the findings of the Morocco Growth and Jobs Report, which highlights the critical role of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises—representing 94 percent of Morocco's private sector—in creating economic opportunities, particularly for young people. Through the Sustainable Oasis Ecosystems Management Project, 20 community-led initiatives are underway in the Aoufous and Akka oases in rural Morocco, supporting enterprises in agriculture, tourism, handicrafts, and digital services. At the heart of this effort are the people transforming these opportunities into livelihoods. Turning ideas into enterprises For many participants, the project is a steppingstone toward entrepreneurship. After participating in business development training, Maryam Boulah is launching a cooperative, “Tirtwin,” to produce aromatic plants, incense, and natural cosmetics. The cooperative has started as a family initiative, with the hopes to expand into a community enterprise.