The Moroccan city of Tangier, on the country’s north coast, is implementing measures to optimize water usage, reports Morocco World News. This initiative comes as a response to the pressing water stress, drive by climate change and changing rainfall patterns.
Among the measures introduced is the prohibition of using drinking water for irrigating green areas and cleaning public spaces. Additionally, there are restrictions on filling swimming pools, both public and private, which limit filling it to once a year.
Mohamed Boujrmma, overseeing the risk management division in the region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, told reporters "We have moved on to the implementation of the government decision which imposes several measures for the rationalization of the use of water and the fight against its waste.”
Boujrmma elaborated that instead of using potable water, green spaces will be tended to using recycled wastewater. Authorities have notified establishments such as hotels, tourist complexes, hammams, and car washes to adhere to this directive. Sanctions are planned in case of non-compliance, ranging from license confiscation to temporary or permanent closure of businesses. Encouraging public participation, Boujrmma urged citizens and economic stakeholders to actively contribute to saving water.
The recent drought has critically impacted Morocco's water reservoirs, with dam levels witnessing a significant decline. This scarcity has been attributed to unusually low rainfall in recent years, a pattern increasingly observed amid global warming.
Tangier now joins other Moroccan cities in taking proactive steps to address the water crisis. In the Casablanca-Settat region, authorities have initiated a water-rationing campaign targeting services like car washing and public hammams. Measures include banning the use of potable water for car washing and implementing closure days.
Morocco's government has acknowledged the severity of the situation, emphasizing the paramount importance of safeguarding drinking water as a current top priority, while it moves forward to implement a comprehensive strategy to address the water crisis, with desalination as a key solution.
