AID's environment and urban programs in Morocco : program review

The experimental Tetouan project, authorized in 1985, aimed at creating an urban development model applicable in other municipalities. Efforts included upgrading the informal Dersa-Samsa neighborhood of Tetouan, which has had a direct effect on nearly one third of the city's population, and improving the city government's capacity to deal with housing and land development activity. Specifically, HG-001 supported financing for: upgrading 7,500 lots on 158 hectares housing 9,500 households; development of a 140-hectare special development zone (ZAC), to be developed through a partnership of public and private sector organizations; municipal government development of 60 hectares of serviced lots for moderate income households (to forestall informal land development in the area, and to cross-subsidize the upgrading component); and off-site infrastructure. The Tetouan program also developed innovations in municipal government organization, computerization of certain key management functions, and cost recovery for such programs. Through a twinning arrangement, the City of Raleigh in North Carolina helped Tetouan train and equip technicians to monitor wastewater collection systems and water quality at sewer discharge points. The collaboration has strengthened Tetouan's ability to support both the day-to-day business of waste management and the establishment of long-term strategies. Tetouan's medical chief has reported a spectacular decrease in contagious diseases in the Dersa-Samsa, one of the sites upgraded through the project. The ANHI Low-Income Housing Project was directed at expanding ANHI's program in serviced land development to nationwide coverage, and at extending the experience gained in HG-001 to other local governments. HG financing has enabled ANHI to produce an additional 2,000 low-income plots per year, to the benefit of some 25,000 people each year. In fact, ANHI's progress has been better than anticipated. Using both HG and other resources, ANHI is now producing some 10,000 plots per year; in the nearly 10 years of its life, it has produced over 100,000 plots in over 80 sites, and has a pipeline of 100 new projects. ANHI has also adapted the Tetouan urban upgrading model to other cities, including Azrou, Fes, and Tangiers. Beyond the quantitative shelter condition improvements carried out under HG-001 and the real production increases under HG-003, the two programs have had an impact at a higher strategic level. The TA provided under HG-001 strengthened the ability of participating institutions to implement a large-scale urban development project. Tangible results include the provision of automation equipment and software, a geographic information system, and training in the fields of cost recovery, municipal finance, and financial analysis. Seminars were held to enable other municipalities to benefit from activities carried out at Tetouan. The TA provided under HG-003 provided, inter alia, professional training and automation equipment, and, more importantly, facilitated a shift in strategy at ANHI to improve its effectiveness in working with local governments, banks, and private developers. This experience has shown that coordinated, concerted efforts can have a positive effect on the provision of low-income shelter opportunities. The report includes a description of the two components of the current program (project 6080221) -- Land Development and Financing, and Urban Infrastructure and Environmental Services.