The King of Morocco Mohammed VI chaired, on Tuesday, at the royal palace in Rabat, a working session devoted to the issue of water. According to the Royal press release, ”this meeting is part of the continuous monitoring and high concern accorded by the King to this strategic issue, particularly in the current context marked by a notable deficit in terms of precipitation and a very strong pressure on water resources across the regions of the Kingdom.
”At the start of this working session, the Minister of Equipment and Water, Mr. Nizar Baraka, presented a presentation on the water situation, which highlights, for the period from September to mid-January 2024 , a rainfall deficit of 70% compared to the average, as well as a dam filling rate of 23.2% compared to 31.5% at the same period last year” reveals the source. Thanks to the actions already undertaken following the High Royal Directions, in particular within the framework of the National Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Program 2020-2027, continues the cabinet, “several provinces and regions have been able to be adequately supplied in recent years in drinking water.
This is the case, in particular, of the realization of the interconnection of the Sebou and Bouregreg basins and the commissioning of the desalination stations of Agadir and Safi/Jorf Lasfar. ”The minister then presented before the King the emergency action plan drawn up by the competent departments in order to deal with the current situation and ensure the supply of drinking water, particularly in towns, centers and localities in deficit or likely to be in deficit,” he indicates.
This emergency action plan presented before the Sovereign, and declined at the level of the various hydraulic systems of the Kingdom, provides according to the cabinet, “a diversity of measures including, in the short term, the optimal mobilization of resources at the level of dams , drilling and existing desalination stations, the construction of urgent water conveyance and supply equipment, and where the situation requires possible measures to restrict irrigation water or distribution flow rates”.
”At the same time, and in accordance with the High Royal Guidelines, planned projects with a medium-term impact will be accelerated, in particular the dams currently under construction, the interconnection between the Sebou, Bouregreg and of Oum Rabia, the national program of seawater desalination stations, the program for the reuse of purified wastewater, the program for water saving at the level of water supply and distribution networks. ‘drinking water and irrigation” reports the cabinet press release according to which, ”the King urged the departments and organizations concerned to redouble their vigilance and effort to meet the challenge of water security and ensure the supply of drinking water throughout all localities in the Kingdom.
In this regard, he continued, ”the Sovereign invited the government to establish transparent and regular communication with citizens on developments in the water situation and on the plan of emergency measures which will be implemented , while raising awareness among the general public about saving water and the fight against all forms of waste or irresponsible use of this vital material.