Morocco plans a new phase of its water highway project to strengthen links between river basins and redistribute water from areas with surpluses to those facing deficits, according to the Ministry of Equipment and Water. The phase would connect the Sebou and Oum Er-Rbia basins over about 300 kilometers, with a transfer capacity of nearly 800 million cubic meters a year.
The ministry says it should improve drinking water supply for Settat, Berrechid and areas south of Casablanca, while supporting agricultural resources in the Oum Er-Rbia basin and securing irrigation for about 176,000 hectares.
It extends a first phase launched in October 2023 over 67 kilometers, which moves Sebou surpluses from the Al Wahda dam to the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah dam in the Bouregreg basin. That phase had transferred more than 953 million cubic meters by the end of December 2025, supporting the Rabat-Casablanca axis, home to about 12 million people, and easing pressure on the Al Massira dam. It forms part of a national drinking water and irrigation program worth over 130 billion dirhams.
Desalination is the second pillar. Morocco aims to raise output to 1.7 billion cubic metres a year by 2030, with three large plants due to open in the coming months at Dakhla, Safi and Greater Casablanca. The government also plans to lift the storage capacity of dams under construction to 22 billion cubic metres. Renewable-powered plants are planned for the Oriental, Souss-Massa, Tangier, Guelmim, Tan-Tan and Rabat between 2029 and 2030.
The strategy also stresses reuse of treated wastewater, water savings and fewer network leaks, along with a national desalination industry with more local content and skills. The ministry presents these projects as an integrated vision for water sovereignty, meant to accompany population growth, urbanization and economic activity and to withstand drought.
