Morocco's water vision: a blueprint for resilience
The IDRA High-Level Colloquium on Resilient Water Solutions, held on June 2, 2025, in Seville, Spain, convened global leaders to tackle pressing water challenges. Among the key voices was Tarik Hamane, Group CEO of Morocco’s National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE).
During the colloquium, Hamane shared Morocco's proactive approach to water scarcity, demonstrating how the nation is transforming structural water stress into an opportunity for comprehensive development. He detailed Morocco's aggressive expansion of desalination capacity as a cornerstone of its national water security strategy, emphasizing its deep integration with renewable energy and agricultural development. We had the opportunity to speak with him about this visionary strategy and Morocco's journey toward water resilience.
What are your impressions of the IDRA High-Level Colloquium on Resilient Water Solutions and the conversations taking place?
It's been very interesting. Many actors were present, covering the whole water cycle, starting from the production of water, and then non-conventional resources such as desalination, and water reuse. We also saw different kinds of entities, both from the public and private sectors. These were very interesting, very important discussions. It was valuable to see what each country is doing in this field. We're trying to learn from the experiences that work, and from the ones that work less, to gain more insights.
Morocco is transforming structural water stress into an opportunity for comprehensive development
I think the south of Spain is quite an interesting example. It's a northern country in terms of general classification, but it faces the same water constraints as those we're dealing with in the south, in the North African countries. So, I think it's a very important and very interesting forum, and the discussion was quite engaging.
In your view, why are water reuse and desalination essential for water security? Would you prioritize desalination or reuse, and what advantages or disadvantages do you see for them?
Human behaviours are driven by need. When there is a need, we look for solutions. Of course, the less costly ones come first. However, once we have no more choice, when there is no more conventional water, we have to look at other solutions, such as reuse and desalination.
Human behaviours are driven by need; when there is no more conventional water, we have to look at other solutions, such as reuse and desalination
I would certainly prioritize reuse because we are re-utilizing water that is already available. Of course, it has to be treated, and there's a process involved, but the advantage is that you consume less energy. In water desalination, in terms of process, 40% of the cost is energy. So, you would also need to produce electricity specifically for this mission. In my opinion, we have to enhance reuse utilization. I believe humankind has a lot to do in this area and should adopt similar experiences as the ones presented here today.
Desalination is another solution that works for a country with access to seawater. It requires more capital expenditure, but it's also interesting if you have energy at good prices; it can be a very reliable solution in terms of cost. The main advantage is availability; you are not dependent on other resources, only on electricity, because seawater is always there.
Could you highlight a project or initiative in reuse or desalination that you believe represents meaningful progress in this field?
Morocco has been quite a pioneer in water management, a journey we began in the early 1960s by developing and constructing numerous dams to store water. This significantly boosted agriculture in the country, especially given that our resource situation isn't comparable to Europe's. Nevertheless, we are a significant exporter of agricultural products, notably vegetables and fruits, thanks to our favourable climate and fertile land.
However, what was often lacking was water. We then embarked on our desalination journey in the 1970s, with the first plant developed in Morocco in the early 70s for drinking water. What's particularly important to mention is that we extended the use of desalination to agriculture. In that regard, we were also among the first to develop a hybrid desalination plant in Agadir. This plant provides both drinking water for the city, covering almost 70% of its needs, and addresses the irrigation demands for agriculture in the Souss region, which is renowned for its vegetable and fruit crops.
This was a very interesting and successful project. Subsequently, we developed other projects with the same concept, even more advanced in terms of design. I can mention one in Dakhla, in southern Morocco, currently under construction and slated for commissioning at the end of this year. This is a desalination plant fully dedicated to agriculture, and it will be entirely powered by renewable energy—wind and solar. This will help optimize energy costs, and consequently, the cost of the water produced by this plant.
In Morocco, we've made a commitment that all the new desalination plants we are going to develop, including one currently under construction in Casablanca—which will be the second largest worldwide with a production capacity of 300 million cubic metres per year, developed in partnership with a Spanish company, Acciona, and a local developer—will also be powered by renewable energy. This approach will drastically reduce the costs of desalinated water, making it economically viable for drinking water and, crucially, for agriculture.
We extended the use of desalination to agriculture. The hybrid desalination plant in Agadir provides both drinking water for the city and addresses the irrigation demands in the Souss region
We aim to replicate this example. We are currently scheduling the development of almost 1.3 billion cubic metres per year of new desalination capacity by 2030, all within the same framework: involving the private sector and being 100% powered by renewable energy. This strategic direction will strongly support our climate change targets and enhance our water security, both for drinking water supply and agricultural irrigation.
What do you see as the main barriers to scaling up reuse and desalination solutions?
The barriers differ depending on whether we are discussing reuse or desalination. For water reuse, the primary barrier is human behaviour – ensuring public acceptance of this water source. We are currently using reused water for agriculture, which was, I believe, not easy to accept initially, but now it's something commonly embraced. However, in the future, we will have to accept water reuse for drinking water, and I believe we will find the solution for that.
In the case of desalination, the main barrier is cost, especially for agricultural applications. To achieve a successful business plan for agricultural development, we must work diligently to optimize costs, including process and energy expenditures. This also involves optimizing what I call the “electricity-water-agriculture nexus”, which allows us to optimize the entire solution.
Looking ahead, what kind of changes do you think are necessary to accelerate the adoption of reuse and desalination globally?
The main thing we should work on is the legal framework. Governments have to implement laws that preserve conventional resources, ensuring existing water sources are not overused and are preserved for future generations.
All new desalination plants to be developed in Morocco, including the one currently under construction in Casablanca, will be powered by renewable energy
We need to increasingly develop non-conventional resources, especially in countries facing water resource scarcity. This is a global issue, not just a local one. The international community should support countries that are grappling with water security problems and deploying solutions to limit negative impacts. Indirectly, when this happens, there are benefits for all countries – for example, people are not forced to migrate if their basic needs are met. So, I think it's crucial to support countries that are working to secure non-conventional water resources for the well-being of their populations.
And of course, supporting new technologies in this field is vital: fostering research and development, involving more companies, and providing support to companies in order to develop more solutions, optimize collaboration, and work, as I mentioned before, in a more integrated way that considers aspects involving energy and reuse.