In a speech read on his behalf by the director of the Moulouya Hydraulic Basin Agency (ABHM), Narjiss Lamarti, at the opening of the 12th edition of the “Solidarity Village”, organized as part of the 19th World Meeting of Sufism, under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, the Minister emphasized the vital role that water plays in the development of the economic, social and environmental sectors.
He noted that this vital resource constitutes one of the fundamental pillars for supporting the major projects initiated by His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
“It is the responsibility of all of us, individuals and institutions, to adopt a long-term vision of water management, so as to ensure the sustainability of water resources and to preserve the rights of current and future generations to this vital commodity,” he insisted, adding: “it is also necessary to strengthen collective awareness of the importance of rationalizing the use of water and managing it wisely and judiciously.”
In this regard, he emphasized the proactive and ambitious long-term policy on water management, based on the mobilization of water resources, the foundations of which were laid by the late HM King Hassan II and consolidated by HM King Mohammed VI.
This policy, he continued, has enabled the Kingdom to have significant hydraulic infrastructures, namely hundreds of large and small dams, built or in progress, water transfer systems, thousands of wells and boreholes, seawater desalination plants, in addition to the reuse of treated wastewater for watering green spaces.
The Minister stressed that despite these achievements, and due to the cumulative effects of climate change on water resources, and given the importance of water in public policies, this sector is the subject of special attention from HM the King, through His High Guidelines which constituted a decisive turning point in the current water policy in Morocco.
He specified that in application of the High Royal Guidelines, the government departments concerned with the water sector are actively ensuring the implementation of projects planned in a participatory manner and the acceleration of the pace of implementation of projects of the National Water Supply and Irrigation Program 2020-2027, with the aim of ensuring large-scale water supply, in particular by diversifying the sources of supply of this vital commodity and integrated management of water resources.
The Minister also mentioned other initiatives undertaken for better adaptation to the consequences and effects of climate change, which have a major impact on water resources, as well as to review and enrich the final version of the draft National Water Plan and update the National Water Strategy, in addition to the approval of ten master plans for integrated water resources development carried out by the Water Basin Agencies.
Alongside these efforts, Mr. Baraka added, it is necessary, today more than ever, to put an end to all negative practices in the management of this resource, in accordance with the High Royal Guidelines.
It should be noted that the 12th edition of the Solidarity Village, which is being held from September 13 to 17, under the theme “Rational management of natural resources: Between moral responsibility and technological innovation”, aims to highlight the crucial and complex issues related to the management of natural resources.
The aim is to develop and promote sustainable and innovative strategies aimed at preserving the environment, while ensuring the sustainability of these vital resources for future generations.
2024-09-15 10:02:37