Rabat – The Observatory for the Protection of the Environment and Historic Monuments of Tangier (OPEMH) launched a project that may have important implications for the treatment of wastewater across Morocco.
The “Eaux Vertes” (Green Waters) project aims to reduce the negative effects of wastewater in Tangier as well as to preserve water resources by sensitizing the city’s population to the importance of water conservation. Strengthening local actors’ protective capacities is equally valid, so OPEMH envisions the creation of a multi-stakeholder committee to monitor and control water pollution.
The first stage of the project is a study regarding the condition of wastewater treatment facilities and is currently open to offers. Researchers of an external scientific body should conduct the study within 30 days of signing the contract, under the guidelines and supervision of OPEMH.
The organization invited contractors to apply for the project in a post on its official Facebook page.
OPEMH envisions the study to examine the legal framework regarding wastewater, as well as the capabilities of local players responsible for wastewater treatment. The broader scope of the study should encompass sea and coastal pollution and its effect on the lives of Tangier’s inhabitants.
“In the world where the demand for freshwater increases yet where freshwater resources shrink constantly due to overexploitation, pollution, and climate changes, it is simply inconceivable to neglect the opportunities provided by wastewater treatment,” reads OPEMH’s introduction to the study proposal.
Treating wastewater is crucial in a city where 400,000 cubic meters of wastewater ends up in the sea daily, while treated water constitutes no more than 20% of the total wastewater produced, according to the study proposal.
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The findings of the Green Waters program’s study will serve as a basis for an advocacy document. Simultaneously, OPEMH will launch an awareness campaign for the media, Tangier’s inhabitants, and the public and private institutions involved in water treatment.
The importance of reusing wastewater recently gained prominence with the prolonged drought affecting Moroccan harvests. Green Waters will also assess the environmental, economic, and health consequences of discharging inadequately treated wastewater.
Morocco has a long history of wastewater awareness. In 2009, Morocco launched the National Water Strategy and National Water Plan which includes “the reuse of treated wastewater” as a vital target.
The Green Waters program has the potential to resonate with the rest of the country and lead by example in the area of wastewater treatment, contributing to the well-being of citizens and the environment alike.
The European Union founded the Green Waters program as part of Moucharaka Mouwatina (meaning “Citizen Participation” in Arabic), which aims to “support the civil society in Morocco.”
