Morocco Speaks up for Africa at World Water Forum

Morocco drew the attention of the international community at the World Water Forum in Brasilia to the environmental, social and economic challenges posed by water scarcity in Africa.

“The kingdom of Morocco believes that this edition of the World Water Forum should be an opportunity to highlight the alarming situation of water in Africa,” Charafat Afilal, State Secretary for Water said at a ministerial conference.

She highlighted the pertinence of the “Water for Africa” initiative launched by Morocco during the UN Climate Summit (COP22) in Marrakech in November 2016, which was developed to serve as a framework to pool efforts to address the continent’s water-related challenges.

“Since the COP22 held in Marrakech, water has become a key topic of the global climate action agenda,” she noted.

The Moroccan delegation to the forum was led by Head of the Government Saad Eddine El Othmani. The event was marked by the awarding of the 6th King Hassan II Great World Water Prize to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Founded by the World Water Council, the World Water Forum represents an international meeting point to discuss water-related problems and find solutions for the world’s most pressing water issues.