Morocco is embarking on a bold new chapter in disaster preparedness, with a 7 billion dirham plan to build crucial reserves across the Kingdom. But this initiative isn't just about modern solutions—it's deeply rooted in a history of ingenious survival tactics, from ancient grain storage systems to sacred institutions that have long shielded the vulnerable. Discover the fascinating ways Morocco has weathered crises for centuries. Morocco is enhancing its preparedness for disasters and emergencies with the construction of essential reserves platforms. Launched under royal instructions, these platforms, set to span the 12 regions of the Kingdom, are part of a 7 billion dirham plan aimed at rescue, relief, and care for affected populations during natural disasters. In anticipation of tragic scenarios like the Al Haouz earthquake in September 2023, which killed thousands and left many others homeless, this major initiative continues Morocco's long history of crisis management. Throughout its history, Morocco has faced various natural disasters, including floods, droughts, famines, and epidemics. Each time, the Moroccan people developed strategies to cope with these crises, whether through dedicated institutions, infrastructure, religious bodies, or acts of generosity. In this article, Yabiladi explores Morocco's historical response to unexpected events and its crisis management strategies. Storing fortresses, Igoudar Moroccans have long understood the significance of food security during times of hardship, and storing food has been an essential part of their ancestral traditions. Igoudar, the plural of Agadir, are traditional collective storage facilities built primarily by tribes in the Anti-Atlas and High Atlas regions to be better prepared in times of scarcity. Considered the oldest form of banks, these fortified storage structures were strategically located on elevated ground, with thick stone or rammed-earth walls. From a distance, they resemble fortresses or small castles, with towers, narrow entrances, and intricate locking systems. Inside, these structures contain floors and small chambers that function as safes for grains, jewelry, and important documents known locally as Arraten. French ethnographer Jacques Meunier, in his study of Igoudar, explains that Igoudar helped cope with «insufficient production to meet necessities and the uncertainty of harvests—for example, in the Souss region, where only one out of every four or five harvests is good». «The remoteness of markets and the difficulty of transportation make any rapid and regular resupply impossible», he explains, highlighting the challenges posed by the region's geography. One of the marvels of Igoudar is their ingenious storage system, particularly for long-term preservation, which proved crucial during times of weak crops and famines. «Active ventilation prevented the grain from overheating» with some Igoudar believed to have preserved grain for twenty-five to thirty years. Another role of Igoudar was to ensure solidarity in times of hardship. Depositing grain in the Igoudar vaults required obligatory contributions, which were later redistributed after the harvest to ensure that no member of the tribe went without food, exemplifying solidarity and ingenuity during times of severe adversity. Wealthy, powerful zawiyas However, what happens when crisis persists and hunger takes hold, depleting the reserves? Immigration due to disasters, diseases, or hunger was a thing in Morocco's history, with many seeking refuge in other regions or less affected tribes. Some sought shelter in zawiyas, Sufi mausoleums that gained prominence in Morocco during the 15th century and spread across the country. These powerful institutions, often supported by donations (gifts or hadiyas, tributes or zyaras, and endowments or hibas), provided protection, not only from the Makhzen but also from hunger and other hardships. Moroccan ethnographer Mohamed Maarouf writes in A Multidisciplinary Approach to Moroccan Magical Beliefs and Practices that zawiyas «gave protection to helpless peasants overwhelmed by the heavy taxation of the Makhzen... those unable to work sought the protection of saints, offering their land to the shurfa in return for shelter, food, and protection for life». Zawiyas also provided charity to the poor, borders, servants, and slaves, Maarouf adds. According to Maarouf, the zawiyas held considerable power from the Marinid dynasty in the 13th century until the Alawite dynasty in the 17th century, especially during times of famine and epidemics. Loans, charity and other solutions In times of scarsity, drought and famine, Moroccan Sultans even loaned tribes money to revive their crops. In his book on the history of famines and epidemics in Morocco in the 18th and 19th centuries, Moroccan historian Mohamed Amine el Bezzaz describes how the sultan loaned the Beni Ahsan tribe near Rabat in the 1780-1781 difficult agricultural season. He writes, «Due to the famine that afflicted farmers, much of the land remained fallow. In some areas of the Gharb region, recovery was only possible thanks to aid from the Makhzen, as the Sultan loaned the Beni Ahsan tribe a significant sum of money to help cultivate part of their land». When the sultan or Makhzen could not provide loans, the population in distress benefited from waqfs. El Bezzaz notes, «Those who saved and stored provisions were, of course, the wealthy. As for the poor, they had nothing to save. However, they did benefit from charitable acts and public benevolence». «No Moroccan city was without families that dedicated a portion of their property to social aid, known as awqaf (endowments), which were specifically allocated, for example, to the weekly distribution of bread — one of the most common forms of charity». Legal documents and notarial records from Tetouan dating back to the 18th century attest to such charitable initiatives, including one where a woman in Tetouan bequeathed one-third of her estate to fund the purchase of bread for distribution to the needy. This even earned the commodity the famous appellation of «bread waqf». Other notable strategies to counter food and water shortages and calamities included infrastructure built by both the Makhzen and the people, such as the matmoura systems that stored grain in pits in the ground, as well as reservoirs like the water sahrij built by Moulay Ismail in Meknes, along with neighboring storage complexes, which were once mistaken for his stables, to store grains.
