Doha – Morocco has set a new civil engineering standard for Africa with the perforation of the Al Massira dam, addressing the growing challenge of water stress in the Marrakech region, reports the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The unprecedented project stands as a model for water management solutions across the continent.
Engineers successfully drilled through the Al Massira dam — Morocco’s second largest water reservoir with a capacity of approximately 2.6 billion cubic meters — to create a new water intake that will supply drinking water to Marrakech’s two million inhabitants, AfDB says.
The perforation will deliver water via pipeline to the city at a rate of seven cubic metres per second.
The project required installing a 40-meter-high cofferdam weighing over 250 tons underwater on the dam wall to create a watertight workspace for drilling operations AfDB explains.
Engineers then cut a conduit 2.5 metres in diameter and 10 meters deep through the reinforced concrete wall, extracting a 100-ton block of concrete in the process.
The complex operation involved Moroccan and international experts, with dozens of engineers, divers and technicians working in shifts for several months to complete the challenging task.
The project forms part of a €150 million program funded by AfDB to improve access to drinking water for Marrakech.
The rapidly growing urban and tourist development in the city has generated increasing demand for water, making secure access vital in a region where climate change threatens water resources.
This technical solution “has proven its worth and can be replicated where necessary in Morocco and other African countries,” the Bank states.
The Bank has developed a strategic partnership with Morocco in the water sector since the 1970s, financing operations totaling over $1.5 billion.
‘The Builder of Dams’
Morocco’s dam policy dates back to the late King Hassan II, who launched an ambitious program in 1967 with the goal of irrigating one million hectares by 2000.
Known as the “Builder of Dams,” King Hassan II increased Morocco’s dam count from just 13 at independence in 1956 to over 100 by the end of his reign, with storage capacity growing from 2 billion cubic meters to 15 billion cubic meters.
This legacy continues under King Mohammed VI, who has expanded the country’s dam network to 149 dams with a total storage capacity exceeding 18.6 billion cubic meters.
Morocco’s water initiatives have captured worldwide attention and praise from global leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed admiration during his October 2024 visit to Morocco, stating he was “very impressed” by the country’s water strategy.
“I am very impressed by Morocco’s strategy in adapting its model through water highways and urban desalination projects,” Macron remarked, describing it as a holistic strategy that “France should take inspiration from.”
Morocco’s historic private investment deal
Morocco’s water infrastructure recently received a major boost through a historic $14 billion megadeal signed with the United Arab Emirates — the largest private investment in Morocco’s modern history.
The deal includes the development of four desalination facilities across Morocco, which will collectively produce 900 million cubic meters of water annually using exclusively renewable energy. The project also features a 1,400-kilometer electricity transmission network connecting Dakhla to Casablanca.
Just last week, King Mohammed VI reviewed Morocco’s water management recovery plan during a ministerial council in Rabat.
Minister of Agriculture Ahmed Bouari reported that the rainfall Morocco experienced in recent months, particularly in March, had a “very positive impact” on cereal production, autumn and spring crops, as well as fruit trees and the vegetation cover.
Minister of Water Nizar Baraka added that the country’s average dam filling rate currently stands at 40.3%, allowing the mobilization of 6.7 billion cubic meters of water — equivalent to one and a half years of potable water consumption.
Spain has also strengthened ties with Morocco through water infrastructure, committing €340 million toward the construction of Africa’s largest desalination plant in Casablanca.
The facility, budgeted at €620 million and awarded to a consortium led by Spanish company Acciona, will provide 300 million cubic meters of water annually for over seven million residents in the Casablanca metropolitan region.
Read also: Experts: Recent Rainfall Does Not End Crisis, Drought Is Part of Morocco’s History
