Is drought following the plow in less developed countries?

The project was conducted in Morocco, a representative drought-prone developing country. Key project objectives were to contribute to the emerging frontier of theory on the human dimensions of global environmental change and to develop an efficient, cost-effective methodology for developing country use in assessing and monitoring their drought hazard. Research was conducted at three different levels of resolution: local, regional, and national. At the local level, project researchers administered a series of interviews to 335 rural households in three different regions of Morocco to learn more about farming practices that have possibly increased vulnerability to drought and to understand "grass roots" drought-coping strategies. At the regional level, researchers examined crop production statistics, meteorological data, and census data and also analyzed Landsat MSS imagery of the study-site areas. At the national level, they analyzed National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/AVHRR weather satellite data and examined national policies. In addition to research activities, key Moroccan personnel associated with the project underwent training in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing technology, including hands-on training developing a GIS database for drought and other environmental analysis in Morocco. Project research at both the micro- and macro-scales clearly demonstrated that the drought hazard in Morocco has gradually been increasing -- primarily due to: (1) expansion of cereal cultivation to drought-prone rangeland; and (2) reduction of fallow. (Author abstract, modified)