MOROCCO: Rabat and Amsterdam to cooperate on sustainable water management

Drought is putting a strain on the water sector in Morocco. In the Cherifian Kingdom, barely 500 m³ of fresh water are available per capita per year, compared to 2,500 m³ in 1960, according to the United Nations (UN). This justifies the signing of a memorandum of understanding on March 24, 2023 in New York, between the Moroccan Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka and the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Mark Harbers. This was during the UN Conference on Water held from 22 to 24 March 2023 in the United States of America.

The two countries will work together to strengthen water supply in Morocco, including through the reclamation of rainwater, desalination of seawater, demineralization of brackish water and reuse of treated wastewater.

Remote management of groundwater

In addition to improving water supply, these solutions will reduce the pressure on groundwater on which large areas of irrigated land in Morocco are currently dependent. This will be possible thanks to “the Netherlands’ world-renowned expertise in flood protection and water quality,” says the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

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Morocco will also benefit from the Netherlands’ knowledge of remote groundwater management. Remote management solutions installed in aquifers will allow remote monitoring of the quantity and quality of water reserves. Dutch experts will also support Morocco’s experts in water efficiency in various sectors of activity, as well as in its flood protection and governance efforts.

The two countries will also collaborate in the area of information collection and management to support decision making and for national, regional, and global statistical purposes.

Inès Magoum