Evaluation of the Microbiological Quality of Different Moroccan Drinking Water in the Beni Mellal Region

Drinking water is water that does not contain pathogens or chemicals at levels that may be harmful to health. Beni Mellal region, one of the major rich areas in ground and surface water in Morocco (the rivers like Oum Errabia, Darna, ...;Bin el-Ouidane and martyr Ahmed El Hansali dams and sources like Ain Asserdoune, …) is located in the North-Centre of Morocco. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of different drinking waters originated from sources, faucets, fountains and wells in the Beni Mellal city and its agricultural surrounding areas. For this, hygienic quality indicator parameters of water quality were determined by assessing the analysis of Total Coliforms Count, Fecal Coliforms Count, streptococcus D and revivable germs while germs such as Anaerobic Sulphite-reducing Bacteria, S. aureus and Salmonella sp, were carried out according to national and international standards. The analysis of the microbiological results found for all the different samples waters investigated in this study revealed that the waters originated from fountains, faucets and sources were proper for main consumption at microbiological point of view while the wells waters were improper for consumption according to norms. Finally, it appears, from the results obtained, that the potential risk of infection of water consumers especially (groundwater) calls for prompt intervention in order to alleviate the potential health impact of water-borne diseases in the community. From this, a proper sanitary survey and implementation of water and sanitation projects in the community is recommended.

Climate Change Trend Observations in Morocco: Case Study of Beni Mellal-Khenifra and Darâa-Tafilalt Regions

Despite the extreme events impact on various climate events frequency and intensity in many developing countries, there has been dearth information on daily climate trends and climatic extremes. This study comes to characterize the climate type and its evolution in Morocco, specially the two regions Beni Mellal-Khenifra and Daraa-Tafilalt. RClimdex software has been used to calculate pluvio-thermal and ombro-thermic indices in the studied stations to reveal climate type in the two regions, their evolutions, and the daily extreme temperatures and precipitations. A cartographic representation has been done for the calculated indices and climatic trends in the stations from 1970 to 2016. As results, the temperature trend for hot day’s number shows a significant increase, while the cold night’s numbers, warm sequences, and precipitation are gradually decreases especially at Khouribga and Midelt. These observed modifications influence negatively the annual rainfall total in the year, the consecutive wet days, the maximums rainy days, and the increase of consecutively dry days. As a conclusion, the Martonne aridity and ombro-thermic indices, show that the temperatures and precipitations evolutions do not induce a change in the climate type for the studied regions.

Integrative herbal treatments of diabetes in Beni Mellal region of Morocco

Objectives: Diabetes is one of the most life-threatening chronic metabolic disorders and is considered a global health problem due to its prevalence and incidence. In Morocco, several herbal preparations are utilized to treat this disease. For this reason, the current study aimed to identify and to collect data about the medicinal plants utilized in folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes in the Beni Mellal region of Morocco.Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was carried out among 400 herbalists, competent villagers and traditional healers from the Beni Mellal region through direct interviews using a semistructured questionnaire.Results: Forty-five medicinal plants belonging to 25 families were identified for their use in diabetes treatment. Interview results showed that the most frequently used plants were Olea europaea, Salvia officinalis, Allium sativum and Trigonella foenum-graecum, with a relative frequency of citation values of24.3%, 23.0%, 22.5% and 20.5%, respectively. Moreover, in this study, the Fabaceae family was the most commonly reported plant family, and the leaves and roots were the most commonly used parts, for the treatment of diabetes.Conclusion: The Beni Mellal region of Morocco has an important floristic biodiversity of plants used to treat diabetes in traditional medicinal practice. This result provides a good database for pharmacological screenings in the search for plant-based antidiabetic medications.

Assessment of Climate Variability and Agricultural Activities in the Area of Tadla Plain

The variations in both precipitation and temperature have far-reaching effects on agricultural activities and the accessibility of water resources. These climatic parameters are pivotal in determining the availability of both groundwater and surface water for agricultural use. The aim of this study was to evaluate the variations in climate parameters, focusing on precipitation and temperature, alongside changes in cultivated land area and crop yields in the Tadla area (Béni Mellal Khénifra region, Morocco);additionally, our research looks at the changes in water inflow into two dams and four aquifers. Trends were assessed over the period of 2010-2020 using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) method, as well as the parametric regression method and nonparametric Mann-Kendall and Sen’s slope test. This analysis can be a preliminary step in demonstrating the effects of climate variability on water resource availability and its adverse impacts on agriculture in the region. The results showed a decreasing trend for some yield crops despite the increase in the cultivated area. The results of the groundwater levels and inflow dams showed a significant upward evolution. The analysis of the obtained SPI values and temperatures has revealed a notable and consistent upward trendencies. This upward trajectory indicates that both the SPI values, which reflect precipitation patterns and the temperatures, have been on the rise over the examined period. These results prompt reflection on the effects of climate variability on water resources in the region and economic activities, particularly agriculture.