Morocco Launches $3.2 Million Flood Prevention Project After Recent Disasters

In an interview with Telquel, the former Director of the National Meteorology has discussed the project, its operating system, the duration of the diagnostic stage and its cost.

The recent dramatic floods in Taroudant, Errachidia and Khénifra as well as the various comments and calls for help on social networks have triggered the reaction of the government of Saâd Eddine El Othmani.

To this end, the Ministry of the Interior has developed a flood control project, called the "Flood Plan", the content of which Abdellah Nassif, Governor of the Project, has revealed in an interview with TelquelArabi. As a specialist in the field, he clearly explained the objectives of an initiative so desired by the Moroccan population.

In his explanations, it appears that, technically, this project, designed on an integrated system, "will receive all the information and forecasts issued by the various sectors". These consist of the ministerial department in charge of Water and the water basin agencies, the urban planning sector which determines the urbanizable areas, the local authorities as well as the Ministry of the Interior which will act as Coordinator of the operations.

The information will be processed at a center to be set up at the Ministry of the Interior. According to the Governor, the pilot phase of this project takes into account four model cities, namely the Gharb plain, Mohammedia, Ourika and finally Guelmim.

When asked how the system will be operated at the end of the pilot phase, the former Director of the National Meteorology provided some important details.

According to him, a central, provincial and local diagnosis is planned to "take stock of the solutions already ready, the climatic and hydrological data, to distinguish the areas of strength and those of weakness, but also to determine the gaps in information and solutions".

In addition, the specialist indicates that this system "will therefore make it possible to measure water levels in cities, villages and douars", without forgetting to mention the realization of a mapping of the facilities and inhabitants in order "to anticipate and manage flood risks".

Regarding the duration of the project, the Governor said it should not exceed eight months, "but if we manage to collect the data quickly, especially the local data, we could put the system in place before this deadline," he added.

This project, in view of the studies, the operating system, the electronic equipment, the center at the Ministry of the Interior as well as the provincial centers, will cost an amount of 32 million dirhams.