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Confronting Drought, Morocco Banks on Desalination to Meet Half of Its Drinking Water Needs by 2030

Confronting Drought, Morocco Banks on Desalination to Meet Half of Its Drinking Water Needs by 2030
Wednesday 03 January 2024 - 14:04
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Desalination has become an absolute priority for Morocco to address the structural water deficit facing the country, significantly impacted by climate change. This was emphasized by the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, during a session before the House of Counselors on Tuesday.

"By 2030, 50% of our drinking water supply should come from desalinating seawater," he announced. This ambitious goal will require the construction of several additional plants, with a total production capacity estimated at 1.4 billion cubic meters per year.

The Office Cherifien des Phosphates (OCP) will also contribute to the national effort by establishing desalination units with a capacity of 560 million cubic meters. A portion of this desalinated water (500 million cubic meters) will be dedicated to agricultural irrigation, while the remainder will supply drinking water to major coastal cities.

The idea is to alleviate the pressure on inland dams, allowing them to concentrate water reserves for rural areas and agricultural needs in non-coastal regions. Public-private partnerships will play a role in developing decentralized desalination infrastructures along the Moroccan coastline.

This ambitious strategy may enable Morocco to navigate the increasingly intense periods of drought anticipated with climate change. Desalination emerges as the future solution to ensure the supply of drinking water to major Moroccan cities.


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