The Middle East and North Africa are some of the most water-scarce regions in the world (Rosegrantet al. 2013). Like other countries in this region, Morocco with the variety of its landscapes from the high Atlas Mountains to the Sahara Desert, is facing several challenges in optimizing their efforts to manage their water resources sustainably.
Ensuring water security has been a real challenge and a critical issue due to many factors, including population growth, climate change, and environmental concerns. In our country, Water is mainly used for agricultural irrigation purposes.
During the past two decades, the annual water withdrawal ranged between 11 billion and 15 billion m3 per year in Morocco. About 75 to 87 percent of total water withdrawal was used for irrigation (FAO 2018).
Did you know that?
• Of all the water on Earth, less than 1% is fresh and available to supply human demands for food, energy, and everyday life.
• Globally, 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water (World Bank Blogs,2024).
• Over 700 million people are at risk of being displaced as a result of drought by 2030. (World Health Organization,2024).
• The water deficit in 2020 was estimated at 1.8 billion cubic meters per year, with demand expected to increase by 15 percent between 2020 and 2050.
Current challenges
According to the World Bank, Morocco is one of the world’s most “water-stressed” countries. Our water resources are under increasing strain due to several factors, such as the rapid expansion of population and urbanization which leads to higher water demand, compounded by ineffective irrigation methods that worsen the issue of water scarcity. Water security is further threatened by climate change, which also brings unpredictable rainfall patterns and more frequent droughts.
Initiatives to increase sustainability
Despite these challenges, The Moroccan government has implemented several initiatives to promote water sustainability, taking as an example the elaboration of the National Water Plan 2020 – 2050 to address our nation’s water challenges and promote water conservation measures.
The plan foresees investment in new dams and interconnections across basins, as well as in desalination plants and wastewater use plants.
Morocco plans to triple its desalination capacity by 2030, adding nine new plants to the existing 11 and 7 under construction. The plan also includes actions to reduce water losses in transport and distribution and additional efforts to increase water efficiency in the agricultural sector through the continued modernization of irrigation systems. The plan is estimated to require an overall investment of about $40 billion over 2020-50.
Community engagement and awareness
A key component of attaining water sustainability is educating and raising awareness of the Moroccan population about water conservation and flow reduction.
Participatory irrigation management programs, among other community-based water management initiatives, empower local stakeholders with the authority to take ownership of their water resources and encourage sustainable practices. In the same context, the “Water Wise” program by the Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Environment, Africa, and Morocco, like the rest of the globe, are utilizing research and innovation, community engagement, and awareness campaigns and plans to turn risks into opportunities and advance a sustainable future vision.
By Nour Alhouda TABITI
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