Morocco’s King oversees emergency water supply plan amid drought

King Mohammed VI chaired a meeting on the measures to ensure water supply amid a severe drought that left many key dams empty.

Speaking at the meeting, water minister Nizar Baraka said dam filling rate dropped to a critical 23.2% so far in January, compared to 31.5% in the same period last year, due to a rainfall deficit of 70%.

The King had urged in 2020 relevant departments to implement a plan to ensure water supply and fend off drought. The plan included building different types of dams and investing in desalination.

During the same meeting, water minister Nizar Baraka gave a briefing on emergency measures to address the impact of drought including steps to curb water squandering and waterways to connect basins having surpluses to those suffering deficits.

The emergency plan also provides for restricting irrigation in some areas and reducing the flow, in order to act on the demand side.

As for waterways, works are ongoing to connect the Bouregreg basin to Oum Rabia and press ahead with desalination plants as well as wastewater treatment.

During the meeting, the King urged authorities to spare no effort to ensure water supply and adopt a frank communication regarding water issues with citizens.