Saudi Water Academy
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Climate change impacts on water availability threaten Morocco’s development

  • Climate change impacts on water availability threaten Morocco’s development

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Water scarcity could threaten sustainable development in Morocco, according to a study by the Centre for Mediterranean Integration (CMI), informs Morocco World News. The study has generated new climate data to support water and agricultural management in Morocco, in consultation with key Moroccan government agencies.

The climate data sets show national climate projections for temperature, precipitation and extreme weather. They are part of the Water Security Nexus, a programme led by the CMI and funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office that aims to understand the relationship between water security, climate change and migration in North Africa and build capacity to target policies and programmes to address water scarcity and drought challenges.

The CMI is a multi-partner platform of development agencies, governments, local authorities and civil society from around the Mediterranean, with headquarters in Marseille, France. In a news release, CMI Manager Blanca Moreno-Dodson said: “Climate change is adding a new complexity to Morocco’s economic growth. In recent years, Morocco has witnessed extreme climate shocks marked by droughts and floods. Such events have increased the stresses on water and land systems and resulted in increased water and food insecurity.”

She added, “It is important for Morocco’s decision-makers to have access to national scale data that can inform their planning and investments. Evidence-based planning is the main ingredient for resilience”.

The British Ambassador to Morocco, Simon Martin, said the climate data generated by the study are invaluable to work towards resilience: “Water scarcity constitutes a real threat to Morocco’s stability and sustainable development in Morocco”.

The CMI project will support climate change adaptation and resilience building discussions and planning in Morocco, particularly by those involved with managing water and food security. It calls for solutions that integrate across technology, economics, and political innovations, as they will be essential to ensure continued economic growth and the wellbeing of its people.

Morocco’s climate initiatives have been acknowledged by international observers. The Green Future Index 2021 recently recognised Morocco as a country with “ambitious climate policies albeit at a more nascent stage”. A ranking of 76 leading nations and territories based on their progress and commitment toward building a low-carbon future, the Index featured Morocco as the first country in the MENA and the second in Africa.

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