(MENAFN- Morocco World News) Rabat - Head of the government Saadeddine El Othmani has identified Morocco as one of the countries suffering from a scarcity of water resources, but has assured that the country is taking steps to eliminate the threat.
During a parliamentary session held Tuesday, July 25, El Othmani said that Morocco is suffering from a lack of water supply and a rise of demand. "Year after year there is a deficit between water demand and supply. Studies have shown that the annual water per capita share drops at an alarming rate."
In 1980, he said, the amount of water available was up to 2500 cubic meters per capita. In 2000, the water share dropped to 1010 cubic meters, and in 2013 the share dropped drastically to 720 cubic meters per capita.
"This is a serious problem," noted the head of government.
He pointed out that the state has adopted both long-term and medium-term strategic plans to confront drought and water scarcity, which "pose a threat to certain regions during summer," asserting that "the state will eliminate this scarcity by the end of 2018."
El Othmani said that the government is working on updating the national water plan, with focus on improvement of "dams policy," which consists of opening three large dams per year and 10 small dams annually, for five consecutive years.
The plan also includes reducing water for agricultural activity and improving water network connectivity and distribution as well as the desalination of seawater and high salinity water.
"The government has set programs to complete water desalination centers in Agadir, Al Hoceima, and Sidi Ifni. Five-hundred million cubic meters of local water are expected to be produced from seawater desalination in five years time," said the head of the government.
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