The Spanish government approved on Tuesday a €5 million ($5.8 million) loan to Morocco for the development of two desalination plants, one in the small town of Moulay Brahim and the other in the southern city of Zag.
MAP, the Moroccan Press Agengy, informs that the credit which was approved by the Council of Ministers will be granted to the National Office for Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) through the Fund for the internationalisation of the company (FIEM).
In a statement, the Presidency of the Spanish Government said that the project is part of the development of a priority sector for the internationalization strategy of the Spanish economy - in this case water- in which Spanish companies have a great deal of experience.
Morocco has been experiencing a drought for the past two years. Now crop irrigation and the domestic water supply are threatened by low water levels in the reservoirs in the southern part of the country. Nevertheless, Drought periods tend to be chronic in Morocco, which ranks 22nd among world countries in terms water stress according to the Global Water Risk Atlas of the World Resources Institute.
To tackle the recurring periods of drought, the country has for years turned to seawater desalination to meet water needs in cities that are experiencing water stress.
At the beginning of 2020, the government unveiled plans to construct a second desalination facility at Laayoune, the largest city of Western Sahara.
The National Master Plan for Drinking Water Supply since 1973 highlighted the need to use brackish water and seawater desalination as a solution for drinking water supply.
