Morocco: Mohammed VI’s New priorities

Beyond the assessment of a quarter of a century of his reign, Mohammed VI identifies the main challenge that his country will have to face in the coming years: water security.

The Throne Day occupies a prominent place in Moroccan tradition, uniting the entire kingdom around its monarch to commemorate the anniversary of his accession to the throne and his official allegiance. Traditionally celebrated on July 30, this annual event is all the more significant this year, since it marks a quarter of a century of the reign of Mohammed VI.

This key moment in Moroccan political life is also an opportunity for the king to address his nation. “It is with immense pride that we commemorate today the twenty-fifth anniversary of Our Accession to the Throne,” began King Mohammed VI in his speech to the Nation. As tradition dictates, this speech is an opportunity to specify the new directions, and also to highlight the kingdom’s achievements and identify the challenges ahead. Among the achievements mentioned, political and institutional reforms; the consolidation of Moroccan identity; economic and development projects; as well as social programs whose objective is to “guarantee social cohesion and ensure citizens’ access to basic services”. The issue of the Moroccan Sahara was also raised by the Cherifian sovereign, who continues to reiterate, each time he speaks, his commitment to “enshrining the intangibility of territorial integrity”.

This means that the issue continues to be the prism through which Morocco views its international environment. And to reaffirm its commitment to “strengthening Morocco’s place as an influential actor and responsible and reliable partner at the regional and international levels”. In view of these elements, Morocco can resolutely approach the future with optimism. However, these advances must not hide the challenges that persist, particularly in relation to the issue of water security, a highly strategic subject for Rabat. Complex water situation: Mohammed VI’s modus operandi Like many countries in the region, Morocco has been hit by an unprecedented wave of drought for six consecutive years, the consequences of which are already being felt. Water reserves and groundwater have been deeply affected, making “the water situation more precarious and more complex”, according to the highest authority of the State.

The Moroccan sovereign also reiterates his instructions to take “urgent and innovative measures necessary to prevent water shortages”, particularly in rural areas. While the water problem continues to become more complex, “due to drought, the impact of climate change and the natural growth in demand”, the government, clearly singled out, is responsible for this. “This situation is also attributable to the delay in the implementation of certain projects planned as part of the water policy”, declares Mohammed VI. If the sovereign had already warned last year against any form of bad governance, mismanagement or anarchic and irresponsible exploitation of water, this time he insists on the fact that “no negligence, no delay, no mismanagement is tolerated in an issue as crucial as water”. It is in this same context that the King of Morocco had insisted, a year ago, on the careful monitoring of the different stages of the implementation of the National Program for the Supply of Drinking Water and Irrigation (PNAEPI) 2020-2027. Since then, the country has moved up a gear in the implementation of this battle plan against drought, the deployment of which requires a colossal investment of 143 billion dirhams (approximately 14.2 billion dollars).

These efforts have so far made it possible to alleviate the seriousness of the water situation. The King also insisted on the imperative of a continuous update of the levers of the national water policy, with a first objective: to guarantee drinking water to all citizens and cover at least 80% of irrigation needs throughout the national territory. If the kingdom has managed to avoid the worst, it also owes it to the late Hassan II who had bet early, since Independence, on the policy of dams that his successor continues to pursue. Today, the country has 153 existing dams, and is preparing to build more than 18. For King Mohammed VI, priority must be given, within the framework of the dam construction plan, “to projects scheduled in regions experiencing significant rainfall”.

Regarding the substantial interconnection project between the major hydraulic basins, the sovereign called for its completion to be accelerated, by ensuring “the connection between the Oued Laou-Larache and Loukous basin [north] and that of Oued Oum Er-Rbia [center], via the Oued Sebou and Bouregreg basins [west]”. The objective is to be able to exploit the billion cubic meters of water currently lost to the sea. This project, a pioneer in Africa, should make it possible to distribute the country’s water resources in a balanced manner. Morocco: future African champion of water desalination? And that’s not all. Rabat sees bigger and wants to develop an entire industry around seawater desalination, by encouraging the creation of Moroccan companies specialized in the construction and maintenance of desalination plants, as well as the creation of training courses for engineers and technicians specialized in this field. The stated ambition is to increase production capacity to 1.7 billion cubic meters per year, with a view to supplying half of the population with drinking water, irrigating large agricultural areas, and strengthening the country’s food security by 2030. To do this, “the construction of seawater desalination plants must be accelerated,” insists the king. Moreover, it is Casablanca, the economic capital, which will have to house the largest desalination plant in Africa and the second such facility in the world that will be powered 100% by clean energy. Through this project, the metropolis will be able to provide drinking water to 6.7 million people and irrigate more than 5,000 hectares.

The implementation of this megaproject was awarded to a consortium including the Spanish group Acciona, as well as the companies Afriquia Gaz and Green of Africa, two subsidiaries of the Moroccan group Akwa. Another challenge that the country must face is “the completion of the scheduled stations and the related renewable energy projects,” the monarch said in his speech. However, one condition is imposed: these projects must be completed within the set deadlines and without any delay. The southern provinces are also concerned by these new projects. And since the desalination plants have proven their contribution to the socio-economic development of these territories, the king announced the extension of the Dakhla station and the future increase in the production capacity of the other stations. Morocco will also have to accelerate the implementation of the electrical interconnection project that aims to transport renewable energy from the southern provinces to the center and north of the country. In the face of water stress, an all-out mobilization On the aspect of rationalizing water use, the monarch was firm: “It is totally insane to spend tens of billions on mobilizing water resources while forms of waste and misuse of water persist” On the agricultural front, Morocco is moving towards the generalization of drip irrigation, which will require, particularly during periods of shortage, “greater coordination and coherence between water policy and agricultural policy”. In addition to these innovative solutions, the kingdom also wishes to engage in the treatment and reuse of water, since the volumes of purified water can significantly cover the needs in irrigation, industry and other activities.