King Mohammed Orders The Proper Use Of Water For The Benefit Of All Moroccans
King Mohammed VI of Morocco chaired at the Royal Palace in Rabat a working session dedicated to the issue of water. The meeting is part of the continuous monitoring and high concern that the King attaches to this strategic issue, particularly in the current context marked by a significant deficit in terms of precipitation and very high pressure on water resources throughout the regions of the Kingdom.
At the beginning of this working session, the Minister of Equipment and Water, Mr. Nizar Baraka, presented an overview of the water situation, which highlights, for the period from September to mid-January 2024, a rainfall deficit of 70 percent compared to the average, as well as a dam filling rate of 23.2 percent compared 31.5 percent at the same period last year.
Thanks to the actions already taken following the High Royal Directives, particularly within the framework of the National 2020-2027 Program for Drinking and Irrigation Water Supply, several provinces and regions have been adequately supplied with drinking water in recent years. This is the case, in particular, with the interconnection of the Sebou and Bouregreg basins and the commissioning of the desalination plants in Agadir and Sai/Jorf Lasfar.
The Minister then presented before the King the emergency action plan developed by relevant departments to address the current situation and ensure the supply of drinking water, particularly in cities, centers, and localities that are deficient or likely to be deficient.
By High Royal Directives, efforts will be made to accelerate ongoing projects with medium-term impact, particularly ongoing dams, the interconnection between the Sebou, Bouregreg, and Oum Rabia basins, the national program for seawater desalination plants, the program for reuse of treated wastewater, and the program for water conservation for drinking water and irrigation networks.
Relevant departments and organizations were urged to redouble efforts to meet the challenge of water security and ensure the supply of drinking water throughout all localities in the Kingdom. The Sovereign invited the government to establish transparent and regular communication with citizens regarding developments in the water situation and the plan of emergency measures that will be implemented while strengthening public awareness of water conservation and the fight against all forms of waste or irresponsible use of the vital resource.
This working session was attended by the Advisor to HM the King, Mr. Fouad Ali El Himma, the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Abdel louafiLaftit, the Minister of Water and Equipment, Mr. Nizar Baraka, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, Mr. Mohamed Sadiki, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Economy and Finance, in charge of the Budget, Mr. Fouzi Lekjaa, and the General Director of the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water, Mr. Abderrahim El Hafidi.