Morocco invests in desalination plants as drought worsens
Located in an arid zone characterized by rain disruption, Morocco seeks solutions to solve water scarcity and ensure supply for domestic, industrial, and agricultural purposes
Morocco is expecting a tough summer when it comes to water supply. The North African nation's worst drought in 40 years is leaving people without tap water for hours during summer times, particularly in the southeast part of the country.
"The 2022 drought is happening after four consecutive years of moderate to severe drought, which led to an exceptionally dry year in Morocco,” Youssef Brouziyne, MENA Head at the International Water Management Institute, told Al-Monitor.
In May, the minister of equipment and water, Nizar Baraka, stated that Morocco would be facing difficult periods due to a rise in temperatures and low water reservoir levels, which plummeted from 62% in 2013 to 32% in 2022.
In a 2019 report, the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (Conseil économique, social et environnemental, CESE) revealed that demand for water exceeded the available quantity of annual renewable freshwater resources.
