Morocco facing an alarming water crisis
On Monday, Morocco’s Minister of Water, Nizar Baraka, addressed the difficult situation the country is currently facing due to poor water resources and drought, which are endangering several major cities in the kingdom. Speaking at an event organized by the General Union of Workers in Morocco to celebrate International Workers’ Day, Baraka acknowledged that the country is experiencing its fifth consecutive year of drought, an unusual situation.
The minister noted that the government is seeking structural solutions to tackle the challenge, including launching a seawater desalination process in Casablanca, set to desalinate 300 million cubic meters of water, with works beginning at the end of the current year and ready by 2027.
Baraka explained that the government is working to complete a pipeline that will connect the Sebou Dam to the Moulay Abdullah Dam and bring water to the Mohammed bin Abdullah Dam, which supplies Rabat and Casablanca with potable water, among other measures.
Observers note that Morocco is taking early steps to adopt alternative plans, including the construction of seawater desalination plants, to address the exceptional situation caused by the dramatic drop in rainfall that has led to a serious decline in dam filling rates. However, the observers estimate that it will take some time for Morocco to reach water safety.
The recently, the world bank released a report highlighting a severe water shortage in many countries. Among these countries is Morocco. Lack of water is also experienced by the Tunisia that started water rationing in many regions.
