“His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, chaired today at the Royal Palace in Rabat, a working session devoted to monitoring the National Program for Potable Water Supply and Irrigation 2020-2027.
This meeting falls within the framework of the High Care and Attention that His Majesty the King, may God preserve Him, grants to the strategic issue of water, which was, in particular, the subject of the important Royal directives contained in the opening speech of the Parliament last October and three working sessions chaired by His Majesty.
During this session, the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, gave a presentation before His Majesty the King on the water situation and the progress of the implementation of the various components of this program.
Thus, and in line with the High Royal Instructions aimed at accelerating the pace of this program and updating its contents, significant additional funds were allocated, raising its overall budget to 143 billion dirhams. In this context, the following points were noted: – Accelerating the project of interconnecting the Sebou, Bouregreg, and Oum Er-Rbia water basins, with the emergency phase of this interconnection currently being carried out over a length of 67 km; – Programming new dams and updating the costs of around 20 dams planned for construction, which will increase the storage capacity by 6.6 billion cubic meters of fresh water; – Accelerating projects for the mobilization of non-conventional waters, by programming seawater desalination plants and increasing the volume of reuse of treated wastewater; – Enhancing the supply of potable water in rural areas, by expanding coverage to include more douars and strengthening the mobilized logistical and human resources.
On the other hand, given the climatic and water situation that has negatively impacted the progress of the agricultural season and the availability of pastures again this year, His Majesty the King, may God assist Him, gave His High Instructions to the government to activate, as in the previous year, the emergency measures of the program to combat the effects of drought.
In conclusion, His Majesty the King urged the concerned departments and bodies to double their vigilance in this vital field, and to show efficiency in implementing the programmed projects according to the established schedule.
This working session was attended by the Head of Government, Mr. Aziz Akhannouch, Advisor to His Majesty the King, Mr. Fouad Ali El Himma, Minister of the Interior, Mr. Abdelouafi Laftit, Minister of Economy and Finance, Mrs. Nadia Fettah, Minister of Equipment and Water, Mr. Nizar Baraka, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Mrs. Leila Benali, and the Director General of the National Office of Electricity and Potable Water, Mr. Abderrahim El Hafidi.”
His Majesty King Mohammed VI stated that Morocco is entering a new phase focused on strengthening national sovereignty, supporting economic recovery, and implementing the New Development Model. He also called on the government and Parliament to fully assume their responsibilities.
The United Nations praised His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s forward-looking vision for future generations, highlighting the importance of collective action to build a human-centered and sustainable development model. It also noted that this vision has become even more relevant in light of the challenges exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly social inequalities and the spread of misinformation.
The Council of the League of Arab States praised the efforts of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, to protect Al-Quds Al-Sharif and support the resilience of the Palestinian people. It also highlighted the fieldwork of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency in preserving the city’s Arab and Islamic identity.
