Present Status
Matfias have been developed in the region of Adba especially since the first quarter of the 20th century, following the extended draughts of 1926. To cope with the problem of water scarcity, it was decided to build several underground and cylindrical tanks with reinforced concrete with a capacity of 125m3. Other hydraulic works that were developed since then include the digging of wells and the use of wind mills.
Despite its average productivity, traditional Matfia has survived to our days and it plays major role, thanks to a maintenance mode, individually or collectively inherited from previous generations.
At present, in many arid and semi arid rural areas of Morocco, people prefer to construct collective Matfias for the benefit of the whole community. This is made possible especially through projects supported by local and international NGOs, local governments, or by government agencies such as the NHRI (National Initiative for Human Development).