Water Crisis Highlighted in King Mohammed VI’s Speech\ Newslooks \ Washington His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco delivered a speech on the 25th anniversary of his accession to the Throne. The King reflected on the significant accomplishments achieved during his reign. He outlined the challenges ahead, mainly focusing on water scarcity and resource management.
The Moroccan Monarch highlighted the political and institutional reforms and the consolidation of Moroccan identity that have taken place over the past twenty-five years. He also emphasized the numerous economic and development projects launched, as well as social programs aimed at achieving social cohesion and providing citizens with access to basic services. Additionally, he noted efforts to consolidate the country’s territorial integrity and enhance Morocco’s standing as an influential player and a responsible partner on both regional and international levels.
King Mohammed VI stressed that while these achievements boost self-confidence and hope for the future, the country still faces significant challenges that require continuous effort, vigilance, and innovative solutions. He identified water scarcity as one of the most critical challenges, exacerbated by drought, climate change, increasing demand, and delays in implementing planned water policy projects. The King explained that six consecutive years of drought have severely impacted water reserves and groundwater, making the situation increasingly fragile and complex.
To address this critical issue, the King has instructed the authorities to take urgent and innovative steps to prevent water shortages. He emphasized the importance of fully implementing the 2020-2027 National Program for the Supply of Drinking Water and Irrigation Water, which has helped mitigate the severity of the water crisis. He called for regularly updating national water policy mechanisms and establishing a strategic goal to provide drinking water to all citizens and mobilize at least 80% of the irrigation water needed across the country.
The King highlighted the necessity of completing the dam construction program, prioritizing those in areas with significant rainfall. He recommended accelerating large-scale inter-basin transfer projects to retain one billion cubic meters of water currently lost to the sea and ensure a balanced distribution of national water resources. Additionally, the King emphasized the need to expedite the completion of seawater desalination plants, aiming to produce more than 1.7 billion cubic meters annually by 2030. These plants will cover more than half of Morocco’s drinking water needs and allow for the irrigation of vast farming areas, enhancing the country’s food security.
King Mohammed VI also stressed the importance of clean energy for desalination plants and called for the swift completion of the electrical connectivity project to transfer renewable energy from the southern provinces to central and northern areas. He advocated for the development of a national water desalination industry and the training of specialized engineers and technicians. The King encouraged the creation of Moroccan companies specializing in the construction and maintenance of desalination plants, emphasizing that there is no room for negligence, delay, or mismanagement in this crucial sector.
The King urged all citizens and institutions to use water resources soundly and rationally, highlighting that waste and misuse are unacceptable. He called for stricter measures to protect the nation’s water resources, the establishment of a water police, and the reduction of excessive water use and chaotic pumping practices. The King also emphasized the need for further coordination between water and agricultural policies, particularly during water scarcity, and advocated for the adoption of drip irrigation nationwide. He called for a more ambitious program for treating and reusing water to serve irrigation and industrial needs and stressed the importance of innovation and investment in new water management technologies.
Regarding the Kingdom’s southern provinces, the King highlighted the significant contributions of completed water desalination plants to the region’s economic and social development. He called for the expansion of the Dakhla plant and increased production capacity of similar facilities, leveraging the provinces’ potential for clean energy production to meet the needs of the population and productive sectors, such as agriculture, tourism, and industry.
