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Rabat – Facing severe water stress, the Souss-Massa region is now looking to seawater desalination as a solution to secure a reliable water supply.
In response to the region’s water challenges, the Regie Autonome Multi-Services d’Agadir (RAMSA) has begun by setting up six monobloc seawater desalination stations, each with a capacity of 35 liters per second.
Saad Daaif, head of RAMSA’s potable water division, said to MAP that the long-term plan is to build a total of 24 stations, which will together deliver a flow rate of 286 liters per second.
The Ministry of the Interior designated RAMSA as the project manager for building 203 monobloc desalination stations and mobile demineralization units across Morocco’s 12 regions.
The initiative strives to achieve a combined flow rate of 1,263 liters per second, with each station capable of delivering between 3 and 50 liters per second.
The program will connect 26 stations to the public water and electricity networks.
Expanded national initiative to tackle water shortages
A series of strategic projects have been initiated under the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation (PNAEPI), set to run from 2020 to 2027 with an initial budget of MAD 115 billion ($11.5 billion).
The initiative includes the purchase of 44 desalination and demineralization monobloc units and the installation of 219 monobloc stations, designed to mobilize over 70 million cubic meters of water annually.
The program also includes acquiring 1,209 tanker trucks and 9,717 plastic tanks, as well as a significant budget for renting tanker trucks.
This effort aims to provide drinking water to around 3 million people, with a focus on rural areas experiencing severe water scarcity.
At a press conference in Rabat yesterday, Mustapha Baitas, the Minister Delegate for Relations with Parliament and government spokesperson, stressed the critical need for various water management projects including dams, water interconnection efforts, and seawater desalination.
He also highlighted other major initiatives, particularly those aimed at connecting hydrographic basins, and emphasized the government’s dedication to mitigating the impacts of decreased rainfall experienced over the past three years.
The government has allocated MAD 143 billion ($14.7 billion) in funding to support these endeavors, he announced.
