Morocco is accelerating its investments in desalination plants, water transfer systems, and new dam infrastructure as part of a broader strategy to mitigate the effects of prolonged drought and respond to rising demand from agriculture and urban centres, Water Minister Nizar Baraka said on Thursday.
Speaking at a conference on Morocco’s water challenges organised by Medias24 in Casablanca, Baraka noted that years of drought have depleted water reserves, reduced the national cattle population, and contributed to inflation in food prices and increased unemployment.
Currently, the country operates 17 desalination plants, with four more under construction and plans underway to add nine additional plants. The government aims to reach a total desalination capacity of 1.7 billion cubic metres annually by 2030. While desalinated water will not be used for wheat cultivation due to cost and land scale concerns, it will help free up more dam water for inland agricultural use.
Improved rainfall this year, though still below average, has increased dam filling levels to 39.2% as of June 11, up from 31% a year ago, Baraka said.
Despite the ongoing water stress, farming that relies on underground water has expanded, and exports of fresh produce to Europe have grown. However, Baraka highlighted a disconnect between the pace of agricultural policy and water management, worsened by the effects of climate change.
To address overuse of water resources, Morocco has banned water-intensive crops like melons in the arid region of Tata and reduced their cultivation by 75% in Zagora.
Given the uneven distribution of rainfall across the country, a major water transfer project—already linking Morocco’s water-rich northwest to Rabat and Casablanca—will be extended by 2030 to support dams in the drought-hit agricultural regions of Doukala and Tadla.
This project is backed by funding from the United Arab Emirates, which also includes the construction of a 1,400-kilometre power line by 2030 to transmit renewable energy from the southern regions to power desalination plants nationwide.
“Using renewable energy will help significantly reduce water costs,” Baraka added.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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