Morocco’s water demand to reach 16.7 billion cubic meters in 2030

The official, who was speaking during a conference on “women and scientific research”, held in the northern city of Tetouan, recalled that Morocco experienced over the last 35 years over twenty drought periods with rainwater deficits exceeding 40pc and a shortage of 60pc of surface waters.

She went on that despite the state efforts, water resources were poorly developed in the last decades with efficiency rates of distribution networks hardly reaching 70 pc for drinking water and 60 pc for irrigation water.

The minister also cited water resources pollution, noting that 640 million cubic meters of used water are annually disposed of in nature and only 25pc are treated, in addition to pollution caused by pesticides and industrial activities, soil erosion and dams silting which entail the loss of 70 million cubic meters a year.

Better water management will spare every year 2.4 billion cubic meters, adopt micro-irrigation in 50,000 hectares and save 120 million cubic meters of drinking water, said the minister.