Chinese Government provides a MAD 27.6 million grant - via a March 2011 ETCA - for the Eastern Anti-Atlas, Drâa-Tafilalet, and CADETAF Geochemical Mapping Project

On September 23, 2013 and November 12, 2013, the Chinese Government and the Government of Morocco signed a letters of exchange, committing MAD 27.6 million of grant funding for the Eastern Anti-Atlas (Drâa-Tafilalet) Geochemical Mapping Project. These grant proceeds were drawn from an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) that the two governments signed on March 16, 2011. This project sought to create three geochemical maps of Morocco's Eastern Anti-Atlas mountain range, the Drâa-Tafilalet, and the Tafilalt Figuig Mining Zone (CADETAF) -- an area over 7,500 square kilometers -- at a scale of 1:100,000. China Geological Survey's Wuhan Center was responsible for project implementation. The ultimate aim of the project was to explore Morocco’s subsoil for lead, zinc, copper, silver, and industrial deposits minerals, with the geochemical maps expected to improve the mining sector by serving mining investors. The project entered implementation in March 2016. It was completed and handed over to the local authorities on September 25, 2018.

Additional details

1. The French project title is Elaboration de trois cartes géochimiques dans la région de l'Anti Atlas Oriental or Projet de cartographie géochimique dans l'Anti-Atlas oriental, Région de Drâa-Tafilalet, Zone CADETAF. de cartographie géochimique. 2. "Cartographie géochimique (C.Géoch)" from Morroc'o's Ministry of Energy, Mines, and the Environment and media report "Maroc-Chine_ réception du projet de cartographie géochimique dans l'Anti-Atlas oriental" states that the project budget was MAD 18.3 million, but "Carte de Projets de Developpment au Maroco" clearly states that the Chinese Government provided MAD 27.6 million. The former figure may represent a contribution from the Government of Morocco or an initial figure, and not necessarily the Chinese Government's contribution. Regardless, as the Budget Directorate of the Government of Morocco’s Ministry of Economy and Finance is the creator of "Carte de Projets de Developpment au Maroco", AidData is confident the latter figure is the correct transaction amount and has coded accordingly. 3. As this is an ETCA, which is a financing mechanism specific to China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), AidData has coded MOFCOM as the specific Chinese Government institution responsible for providing this grant.

Number of official sources

2

Number of total sources

3