Water stress in Morocco : experts sound the alarm
Channel: Youssef belorhmari
Date: 2018-09-19

Global warming and water stress particularly affect Morocco - like the entire Mena region, with disturbing repercussions in terms of access to resources and food security. The assessment of the kingdom's vulnerability to drought was at the heart of the debate at a scientific workshop jointly organized on 17 September by the Ministry of Agriculture and ICBA (International Center for Biosaline Agriculture). Like all countries in the Mena region, the kingdom is experiencing a severe water stress situation. While it was considered an episodic phenomenon, "drought is now a structural data of the climate in the Mena region, and constitutes a real threat to food security," said Mohamed Sadiki, SG of the Ministry of Agriculture. According to statistics provided by Dr. Rachid Zaaboul of the ICBA, Morocco experienced 30 years of "severe" drought between 1912 and 2015. The most worrying is the reconciliation of these episodes in recent years, with a negative impact on the renewal of groundwater and the availability of water resources in the broad sense. The numbers speak for themselves. While a country is considered to be under water stress when water availability is less than 1,000 m3 / inhabitant / year, Moroccan water resources are now estimated at 650 m3 / inhabitant / year and will fall below 500 m3. by 2030! Are we equipped to face this shortage? Morocco is currently working on a National Water Plan by 2050 to cover the needs for drinking water and irrigation. On this last point, thanks in particular to the Green Morocco Plan, Morocco has adopted a proactive strategy for the efficient use of water resources in agriculture. Drip irrigation currently covers more than one-third of the irrigated area, resulting in annual savings of 1 billion cubic meters. However, these strategies may show their limits given the climatic factors facing Morocco. "Rainfall has been declining structurally over the past three decades, which is reflected in an even faster decline in groundwater levels," said Professor Saâd Belghazi, an economist and consultant to the World Bank. Is there a risk of moving towards a "Zagora" scenario? This is more than likely according to some experts who, figures in support, are sounding the alarm: Haouz groundwater: drop of about 20 meters in 25 years. -Nappe du Souss: drop of more than 25 m in 30 years. -Nappe du Saiss: 64 m drop over 25 years. At the national level, "overexploitation of groundwater is estimated at 1 billion cubic meters per year," says Abdeslam Issami, head of Water Resources Planning - ONEE. Or a loss equivalent to the savings achieved through drip irrigation ... However, the exploitation of groundwater can be regulated through the adoption of "water table contracts", which specify the terms of sustainable management and concerted of these resources. According to Issami, Morocco is aiming for the short-term development of some thirty groundwater contracts and 130 long-term contracts. Curiously, 5 of these water table contracts have already been finalized from a technical and legislative point of view. Except they have not been activated yet. "Although everything is ready, we are reduced to waiting for a political decision," regrets Dr. Driss Hasnaoui, head of the Division of Water Resources - Ministry of Equipment. Clearly, Morocco is technically already able to better manage its water resources. If political governance is at the rendezvous ... This situation is all the more problematic because water stress threatens food security in Morocco and throughout the MENA region. In FAO's 2018 report on the state of agricultural markets, published on 17 September, the North African countries will be forced, in the coming years, to increase imports of 2,6 % - with an estimated price increase of at least 1.2%.