Morocco will mobilize 2.34 billion Moroccan dirhams (almost €220 million - nearly $249 million) from donors and other partners over the next five years, reports Afrik 21.
The Moroccan government will spend these funds for the implementation of the National Shared Liquid Sanitation Program (PNAM), which aims to reuse treated wastewater in response to water stress. This is the revised version (in 2019) of the National Liquid Sanitation and Wastewater Treatment Program (PNA), which was launched in 2005 to improve sanitation and preserve watersheds from pollution in several communes.
By 2027, the government predicts it will provide 100 million m3 of treated wastewater to inhabitants per year. By 2050, this figure is expected to rise to nearly 340 million m3 per year, representing an 80% treatment rate in Morocco.
Water for irrigation
Moroccan authorities have said that the rate of water treatment in Morocco already exceeded 50% in 2020, while in 2006, only 7% of water was treated. This positive result was achieved through the implementation of the NAP. The National Action Plan (NAP) looks to implement 87 projects, 22 of which concern the watering of golf courses. This process has become common in Morocco. Of the 44 golf courses in the Kingdom, 60% are irrigated with treated wastewater. This alternative is justified by the decrease in rainfall, making it difficult to irrigate green spaces with fresh water.
The government is also interested in water desalination and the construction of river dams to increase water provision for the Moroccan population. Last month, the Moroccan Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka announced the mobilization of 3 billion Moroccan dirhams (about 285 million euros) to build new water reservoirs, according to Afrik 21.
The National Shared Liquid Sanitation Program (PNAM), Morocco will implement 65 resilience projects to tackle soil degradation and drought, which is particularly affecting the agricultural sector.
