Estimation of groundwater volumes pumped for irrigation (Haouz Plain, Marrakesh, Morocco). Comparison of a statistical and remote sensing methods.
Irrigated agriculture is one of the main components of the economic development of the Haouz Plain, along with tourism and craft industry. It represents more than 85% of water consumption in the Tensift catchment. The dry climate, as well the as recurrent periods of drought during the past ten years, have led to an increase in the use of surface and ground waters, used mainly for irrigation. The main objective of this study was to determine the volume of groundwater pumped for irrigation. We created a land use map through the supervised classification of three Landsat images obtained on three different dates. This map enabled us to locate the various irrigated crops and to calculate their total water needs from the consumption values for each crop, using the FAO method. By comparing the volumes of surface water allocated by ORMVAH (Office Régionale de Mise en Valeur Agricole du Haouz) with the crop requirements, we could estimate the average volume of water pumped for irrigation to be 481 Mm3•yr‐1. The values ranged between 271 and 691 Mm3•yr‐1 due to uncertainties in the estimation of crop water consumption. In addition, the graphic interpolation between the actual volume of water extracted, as determined by field investigations in 1986 and 1971, and the pumping flow allowed by the local water authority in the Haouz Plain, gave an estimated value of approximately 495 Mm3•yr‐1.