Morocco Enacts Measures to Ration Water Amidst Severe Drought

Rabat – As Morocco braces for the worst drought in 30 years, the country’s interior ministry has issued a warrant for regional authorities to implement a series of measures aiming to preserve water resources.

Distributed on February 17, the warrant urges local governors to launch campaigns to raise awareness on the importance of water resources and ration water usage.

Local authorities should restrict the water flow for users and ban the watering of green spaces using critical water sources, the warrant said.

It pointed out that the ban also extends to washing public spaces and roads using conventional water sources or underground water reserves.

The warrant also gives instructions for local authorities to crack down on illegal use of wells and irrigation water resources. In addition to the measures, local authorities are to oversee efficient water production operations to minimize water waste that occurs over the process of production and distribution, according to the warrant.

Local authorities are to oversee the process of distributing water through lorries to remote areas suffering from water scarcity, concludes the warrant.

Morocco is facing the prospect of severe drought this year following record low rainfall. The country’s rainfall-dependent agriculture is likely to be the hardest hit by the drought.

Traditionally part of the second-largest grain importing region worldwide, the North African country is already straining under the weight of a rising deficit on the backdrop of the soaring global food prices, especially that of grains.

Earlier this week, Morocco’s deputy finance minister announced that the government is bolstering subsidies for grain amidst international supply bottleneck and geopolitical tensions gripping western Europe.

Rising transport fees have done little to ease the dire trend, as Morocco is expected to subsidize grain imports with over MAD 3.8 billion ($404.8 million) throughout 2022, the minister explained.