On Tuesday, Nizar Baraka, the Minister of Equipment and Water, announced a notable enhancement in the water reservoir levels across Morocco, which have reached an impressive 75.86% as of now. This marks a significant increase from the same period last year, when levels were recorded at just 40.18%, reflecting a remarkable rise of 35.68 percentage points. Baraka made these remarks during a meeting of the Committee on Infrastructure, Energy, Mines, and Environment in the House of Representatives. The meeting focused on discussing the current state of water resources in the country, as well as the solutions implemented and planned for the management of water resources and the mitigation of extreme climatic phenomena.
As of April 23, 2026, the total volume of water stored in Moroccan dams has reached approximately 13 billion cubic meters. Baraka elaborated on the improvements made through the sediment removal operations in dams, which have expanded storage capacities by recovering between 5% to 7% of resources, as opposed to the previous loss of 15% to 20% of their capacity. He presented an overview of the progress and prospects related to water infrastructure projects, highlighting the completion of 156 large dams with a total capacity of 20.8 billion cubic meters, along with 150 small and medium dams. Additionally, 18 water transfer facilities have been established, along with 17 seawater desalination plants, which collectively yield a total production capacity of 410 billion cubic meters. Meanwhile, four more plants are under construction, expected to produce an additional 447 million cubic meters annually, alongside 11 planned projects, which include eight new plants and three expansion projects.
Furthermore, Baraka emphasized the completion of the urgent phase of linking the Sebou and Oued R’kak basins, which has cost 6 billion dirhams, in addition to finalizing the water linkage between the Oued Makhazine and Dar Khorofa dams. He also addressed the initiatives for providing potable water in rural areas, indicating that these projects will be finalized by 2027, benefiting 767 rural centers at a cost of 5.272 billion dirhams, and 22,100 villages at a cost of 21.987 billion dirhams. The ultimate aim remains to ensure that all communities and villages have access to clean drinking water.
Regarding the progress of projects related to seawater desalination and brackish water, Baraka noted that 224 mobile stations have been acquired, with a total output of 1,313 liters per second, at a cost of 2.35 billion dirhams, with 158 of these stations currently in operation. In terms of the flood protection strategy, Baraka stated that work will commence on the widespread implementation of early warning systems for floods between 2026 and 2028. This initiative aims to establish a comprehensive national early warning system, enhance the resilience of territorial areas, and ensure the protection of populations, infrastructure, and economic activities from potential risks.
As reported by agadirinfo.ma.
