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Join on Telegram Rabat – Several reports have shed light on the dire water situation in Morocco, affecting areas of activity, including tourism and agriculture.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has reiterated concerns about the water scarcity in Morocco and the world have been experiencing due to climate change effects.
“Morocco’s situation is symptomatic of growing freshwater shortage heightened by population growth,” the bank wrote this week, noting that this situation threatens all sectors, “from services to agriculture and industry to tourism.”
Recalling that the situation has been ongoing for six years, the bank emphasized that the country is facing a critical situation, indicated by declining water tables as well as a slowed filling for reservoirs.
“Today, a Moroccan consumes on average just over 600 m3 a year, or one-quarter of what is consumed in less than 6 years,” the bank added.
The report acknowledged that Morocco’s government identified the problem years ago, recalling its efforts to address the situation by “implementing numerous projects” to boost and secure access to water. The measures include accelerating the construction of dams and seawater desalination as well as investing in reusing wastewater and projects to save water for drinking.
Last year, a World Bank report acknowledged that Morocco has been engaged in efforts to find solutions to end or mitigate water stress challenges.
It acknowledged, however, unsustainable measures to tackle water scarcity.
In the report, the World Bank said that the Middle East and North Africa has tackled water scarcity by “exploiting multiple ways to increase water supply (building more dams, tapping into groundwater, and increasing desalination) without adequately addressing critical efficiency and governance issues.”
The report identified the situation as “Fiscally and environmentally unsustainable.”
It emphasized that government policies should focus more on reducing water losses and efficiency measures to contribute to addressing water challenges.
Over the past years, Morocco has been pledging several measures to address water scarcity. The measures include campaigns calling for the rationalization of drinking water use.
Among these measures, authorities across Morocco also urged car washes and public hammams to stop operating three days a week.
