Water restrictions: here’s what awaits Moroccans

Morocco is intensifying its fight against water scarcity. In a circular, Abdelouafi Laftit, Minister of the Interior, called on the Walis of the regions and Governors of the prefectures and Provinces to immediately implement drastic measures that can mitigate the devastating effects of the drought, help rationalize water uses in all regions. We can mention among others, the holding, the first week of each month, of meetings with the water distribution operators for the establishment and regular updating of the water consumption mapping by neighborhood in order to identify the most water-intensive ones, based on the average daily liters of water consumed per inhabitant; the fight against the dissipation of water resources, through the search for leaks in the pipelines of the production and distribution operators; the repression of cases of fraud in the exploitation of water resources such as anarchic connections, tapping at the level of water pipes and pipes, as well as the absolute prohibition of watering all green spaces and public gardens, the cleaning of roads and public squares by the use of water, the filling of public and private swimming pools more than once a year, and water-intensive crops, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture.

The Walis and Governors are thus responsible for examining with the external services of the relevant ministerial departments the palliative actions to be carried out to limit the impact of water stress on populations and economic activities. In this sense, they will have to proceed with the reactivation of the regional committees in charge of monitoring the National Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Program and the acceleration of the implementation of the projects of this program; the preparation by the local authorities and their partners of programs for the recycling of wastewater; the supply of drinking water by tank trucks to the localities in distress; the development of water points for the watering of livestock in the affected regions, etc.

To read: Morocco Faces Extreme Water Scarcity Risk by 2040, Report Warns

Finally, it is planned to write a "monthly report highlighting the actions implemented in execution of the provisions of this circular, accompanied by an assessment of the situation prevailing at the level of their commands in relation to water stress," according to Le Matin. This report must be addressed to the Department (DGAI-DSD).