The Head of Government chairs the third meeting of the Steering Committee of the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Water 2020-2027

• Increase the financial allocations for the program from 115 Billion Dirhams to 150 Billion Dirhams.
• Accelerate the pace of implementations and launch studies for additional projects.

The Head of Government, Mr. Aziz Akhannouch, chaired, on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, the third meeting of the Steering Committee of the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Water 2020-2027. The meeting was attended by Mr. Abdelouafi Laftit, Minister of Interior, Ms. Nadia Fettah, Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water, Mr. Mohamed Sadiki, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, Ms. Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, in addition to Mr. Abderrahim El Hafidi, Director General of the National Office of Electricity and Potable Water.
This meeting was devoted to deliberating on a set of draft resolutions and recommendations, which are divided into five axes, namely interconnection between water basins, seawater desalination projects, dam projects, awareness and awareness, and governance mechanism.
 

In line with the High Royal Directives, especially contained in the speech of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, May God Assist Him, on the occasion of the opening of the current legislative session, Aziz Akhannouch affirmed his government's keenness to accelerate the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Water 2020-2027 and to show seriousness and responsibility to confront all forms of waste and indiscriminate exploitation of water. He added that ensuring water and food security for all citizens is a government bet to confront the water stress that our country is experiencing due to the successive years of drought and the decline of water resources. This program has received special attention from the current government by accelerating the pace of its completion, especially with regard to ensuring the supply of drinking water to male and female citizens, interconnection projects between water basins, dam and seawater desalination projects, and the reuse of treated wastewater. The current situation of water resources in our country was also discussed, as the Kingdom has been experiencing four dry years since 2018, which contributed to the decline in the stock of surface and groundwater resources. The per capita share of water resources has declined from 2560 cubic meters per year in 1960 to 620 cubic meters in 2020, due to the decline in water resources and the demographic increase in our country.
Within the framework of this national programme, the Government is taking various measures to remedy the delay in the implementation of a number of projects, as well as launching studies on additional projects that will see the light of day in the short and medium term. This prompted it to raise the pace of investment in this area, and to enhance the financial allocations allocated to the program from 115 to 150 Billion dirhams.
The government will also present to His Majesty the King, may God assist him, all the projects expected to be completed, which will alleviate the impact of water stress on male and female citizens, by ensuring the continued supply of drinking water and the provision of water for agriculture and irrigation.