Morocco to increase water supply budget to $14 billion till 2027

King Mohammed VI directed the government to speed up water security projects with the increase of the budget allocated to a water supply program to 143 billion dirhams ($ 14 bln).

This came in a Royal palace statement following a briefing during which water minister Nizar Baraka gave the broadlines on the progress of the water programme for 2020-2027.

The King urged the government to speed up works to build waterways connecting the Sebou, Bouregreg and Oum Errbia bassins.

He also stressed the need to build new dams to reach a fresh water storage capacity of 6.6 billion cubic meters.

Morocco was hit by consecutive drought with last year the worst in decades undermining crops and impoverishing farmers.

The King also called on the government to rapidly build desalination plants and increase wastewater treatment, while expanding supply to rural areas.

A shortage in rainfall left Moroccan dams with an overall filling rate of only 32% by May 9 this year, compared with 34% last year, as a heat wave further worsens evaporation. Some large dams, such as Al Masira supplying Casablanca, is only 4% full.

The Minister had said on multiple occasions works to build Africa's largest desalination plant in Casablanca would kick off this year, following the example of the desalination plant in Agadir which spared the city and adjacent farms a disastrous water shortage scenario.

This meeting took place in the presence of the Head of Govt. Aziz Akhannouch, Royal Advisor, Fouad Ali El Himma, Interior Minister, Abdelouafi Laftit, Economy & Finance Minister Nadia Fettah, Equipment & Water Minister Nizar Baraka, Energy Transition & Sustainable Development Minister Leila Benali and Director of National Office of Electricity & Drinking Water Abderrahim El Hafidi.