Morocco Faces Escalating Water Crisis, Ranks Among Countries with High Water Stress

Morocco is on the list of 27 countries with high water stress and is ranked 22nd out of a total of 164 countries, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI) report. In other words, water demand exceeds the available quantity in the Kingdom.

The report also shows that nearly a quarter of the world’s population, living in seventeen countries, is in a situation of "extremely high water stress". These are Qatar, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, the United Arab Emirates, San Marino, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Oman, Botswana and India.

Thus, "agriculture, industry, and municipalities absorb 80% of the available surface and groundwater during an average year," the same report points out. And the worst, observes the WRI, is that these countries are close to the "zero day" when not a single drop of water will come out of the tap.

"Water scarcity is the greatest crisis no one is talking about. Its consequences take the form of food insecurity, conflict, migration and financial instability," said Andrew Steer, CEO of the WRI.

"When demand rivals reserves, even small drought episodes - which will increase with climate change - can have terrible consequences," like the recent crises in Cape Town, Sao Paulo or Chennai, the Institute’s report adds.