Marrakech Faces Water Crisis: $52 Million Emergency Plan to Combat Severe Drought

The Marrakech-Safi region risks running out of drinking water during this severe drought period. Aware of the situation, the authorities are preparing to implement emergency measures to avoid the worst. A financing of 522 million dirhams should be mobilized to finance an emergency plan, reports the daily Al Akhbar.

The decision to implement this plan came after the Tensift Hydraulic Basin Agency produced an alarming report on the risk of suspending the supply of drinking water to the cities of the region, adds the same source, stating that a more structural program will be executed in the long term, with an investment of 4.6 billion dirhams, to prevent the risks of water shortages in the region.

Read: Severe Drought to Leave 54 Moroccan Cities Without Water This Summer

During a session held this week and devoted to the water issue, the President of the Regional Council explained that the emergency plan aims to ensure the continued water supply to the population and water efficiency to avoid waste. In this context, he announced the construction of 16 small dams by 2023 as well as the rehabilitation of several wells and the exploration of new water sources.

The Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, recently warned of the risk of disruption in water supply during the next summer season in cities like Casablanca, Marrakech, Nador, Berkane or Safi, where the drying up of water reserves is more worrying.